2-Year-Old Dies in Drowning Accident in Retention Pond
Family Retains the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to Sue Property Owner for Negligence
MACCLENNY, Fla., May 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Just days before his third birthday, two-year-old Franklin Parker was found dead in a retention pond, and the distraught family has retained the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to sue the property owner for wrongful death.
On April 23, 2019, the two-year-old woke up early in the morning and wandered off while under the care of his eighteen-year-old sister who had been watching him while their parents were at work. Upon waking up and realizing he was missing; she and neighbors began a search which ended when the boy was found floating in the nearby retention pond.
After a neighbor attempted CPR, the victim was transported to Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital in Macclenny where he was later pronounced dead.
The retention pond is located on the property of Macclenny Cycle & Marine, owned by Stephen Clarence Williams Jr. According to court documents, the property owner did not have proper fencing as required by building permits.
Franklin's parents, Misty Williams and Timothy Bouknight, represented by the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, have filed a lawsuit against the corporation and its owner.
"This tragedy was preventable," said attorney Glen Levine, Esq. "Our clients are devastated, and we are working hard to ensure that those at fault take responsibility."
According to court documents, on January 13, 2016, Williams Jr. applied to the Sr. Johns River Water Management District for a permit for the construction of the retention pond to be used for stormwater treatment. Plans submitted to the district detailed the construction of a six-foot fence with a self-latching gate. A permit for construction was issued two weeks later on January 27th.
Williams Jr. subsequently constructed the retention pond which was completed in March 2017. However, the property owner failed to install the fence as detailed in the construction plans.
Parker's family alleges the corporation constructed the pond with an unreasonably dangerous slope and failed to provide signage warning of the pond's depth. They also allege the property knew or should have known the risk that the unfenced pond posed to the public's health and safety, and failure to comply with the building permit resulted in the toddler's death.
In 2000, a Florida family won a settlement against property owners for the wrongful death of their toddler who drowned in a retention pool that also lacked adequate fencing.
ABOUT THE LAW OFFICES OF ANIDJAR & LEVINE:
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, P.A. brings years of experience successfully representing Florida clients in personal injury and criminal defense law. With offices in Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Jacksonville and West Palm Beach, their team consists of experienced lawyers, investigators, and medical/legal support experts to achieve the optimal results for their clients. Founded by Marc Anidjar and Glen B. Levine, the company stands by its mission to help those in their community and defend their rights.For more information, please visit www.anidjarlevine.com.
SOURCE Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine
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