Goldberg & Rosen Showcased on Podcast: On Premises
Judd and Brett Rosen were recently showcased on the On Premises podcast hosted by Beacon Legal PLLC. The popular podcast speaks with some of the nation’s leading civil trial lawyers about their most exciting premises liability cases, which nearly always have a disturbing yet fascinating backstory. On Premises, we spoke with Judd and Brett Rose about the Surfside Condo Collapse of June 2021. Listen Here
Goldberg & Rosen helped prosecute the class-action lawsuit
Judd and Brett Rosen were interviewed about their role in assisting the Surfside Condo Collapse victims. They described the terrifying experience of living near the collapsing condo. Having grown up in Florida, they felt called to represent the victims of this tragedy as an act of service to their community.
With the help of lawyers from numerous firms, Goldberg & Rosen prosecuted the class-action lawsuit, earning the victims and their families a judgment of over one billion dollars.
Lack of warning contributed to the collapse’s high victim count
During the podcast, Judd and Brett spoke about the victims and families they represented during the case against the condo owner.
They highlighted that the circumstances of the collapse were a crucial component in their legal strategy, explaining that the condo’s residents experienced what felt like an earthquake followed by several minutes of silence. There were no warnings to evacuate, no alarms alerting the residents that they were in danger after the building’s pool deck crashed to the ground.
The rest of the building suddenly collapsed, claiming the lives of 98 people while severely injuring many others, leaving just three surviving victims. While the buildings did have alarms and an all-call system to alert residents of danger, they were unused.
Goldberg & Rosen prosecuted the security company because they did not train the building’s guard to use the all-call system. Had the guard been appropriately trained, the guard could have alerted the building to evacuate.
Numerous defendants and premises liability legal principles were involved in the case
Judd and Brett Rosen spent significant time explaining the many premises liability legal principles associated with the case against twenty different defendants and potential defendants.
Because the case was prosecuted as a class action, each party’s contribution to the settlement class is a public record. The Rosen brothers named some of the defendants, which included
- Becker and Poliakoff, the law firm representing the condominium
- The architects for the building next door to the site
- Various roofing, fire alarm, and insurance companies
- Securitas, who failed to train the security guard they provided properly
In addition to involving multiple defendants, a complex pattern of legal theories and processes further complicated the case. This included:
- Determining liability and claim worth
- Applying Florida’s torts law
- Resolving conflicts of interest
- Serving as lead representation for non-owner death and personal injury cases
Fighting with courage and compassion
By achieving a semblance of justice for these victims and discussing the Surfside Condo Collapse litigation on the On Premises podcast, Goldberg & Rosen hopes to raise awareness of the need for stricter laws and accountability for property owners and condominium associations. Everyone involved did so in the spirit of honoring and respecting the victims of this unthinkable tragedy.