Man Who Was Injured In A Car Accident Falls At Lawyer’s Office

In a bizarre set of facts The Florida Supreme Court reinstated a $1.2 million negligence award to a man who was injured when he fell out of a law firm’s chair during a consultation about filing a car crash lawsuit.

The facts are that Robert Friedrich was injured in a car accident and was seeking legal representation in 2003. Friedrich was at the personal injury offices of Fetterman & Associates and was reading a retainer contract, when the chair he was sitting in collapsed.

Friedrich injured his back, and he underwent a four-level spinal fusion surgery.

A lawsuit was filed, and Brandon Home Furnishings, which sold the chair, was found two-thirds liable. The jury also found the auto accident–Friedrich’s vehicle was rear-ended by a dump truck–caused 25 percent of the damages.