Jury Awards $644 Million to Man Paralyzed in Bar Staircase Fall

Morgan & Morgan secures record verdict after evidence showed owners knew of dangerous conditions but restricted safe exit to "employees only".

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:03pm

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An Orange County, Florida jury has awarded a $644.75 million verdict against the owners of a Winter Park bar, Park Social, after a 57-year-old man was left partially quadriplegic following a catastrophic fall down a dangerous staircase at the establishment in 2017. The plaintiff's attorneys successfully demonstrated that the bar's management was aware of the unsafe conditions of the staircase, including its narrow width, steep incline, and lack of proper handrails and grip tape, but restricted access to a safer alternative staircase for "employees only" until after the incident.

Why it matters

This record-setting verdict highlights the importance of business owners prioritizing customer safety and being held accountable when they knowingly expose patrons to hazardous conditions. The case also raises broader questions about premises liability laws and whether more stringent regulations may be needed to prevent similar life-altering incidents, especially in older buildings.

The details

On November 25, 2017, the 57-year-old plaintiff was leaving Park Social, a second-story bar in Winter Park, Florida, when he fell down a flight of approximately 20 stairs. Evidence presented at trial showed the staircase was unsafe, with steps that were too narrow, too steep, and lacking proper grip tape and handrails. Testimony from former Park Social employees also revealed that management was aware of the dangerous conditions and prior incidents of patrons falling, but restricted access to a safer alternative staircase for "employees only" until after the plaintiff's catastrophic fall, which left him partially quadriplegic with no feeling from the chest down and severely limited mobility and senses.

  • The incident occurred on November 25, 2017.
  • The jury trial took place in 2026.

The players

Park Social

A bar located on the second story of a building in Winter Park, Florida that was owned and operated by Soho WP, LLC and BE-1 Concepts Holdings, LLC.

Soho WP, LLC

The company that owned and operated Park Social.

BE-1 Concepts Holdings, LLC

The company that owned and operated Park Social.

Nick Panagakis

An attorney with Morgan & Morgan who represented the plaintiff at trial.

Brian McClain

An attorney with Morgan & Morgan who represented the plaintiff at trial.

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What they’re saying

“Former employees at Park Social testified at trial that they knew how dangerous these stairs were and that patrons had fallen down them before.”

— Nick Panagakis, Attorney, Morgan & Morgan

“Park Social management also knew there was a second, safer staircase on the premises that allowed access to the bar, but designated it for employees only until the day after the catastrophic fall that paralyzed our client.”

— Nick Panagakis, Attorney, Morgan & Morgan

“Our client's injuries altered his life completely and permanently. He didn't just lose his mobility, but also his identity.”

— Brian McClain, Attorney, Morgan & Morgan

What’s next

The defendants, Soho WP, LLC and BE-1 Concepts Holdings, LLC, are expected to appeal the record-setting $644.75 million verdict.

The takeaway

This case underscores the critical importance of business owners prioritizing customer safety, even in older buildings, and being held fully accountable when they knowingly expose patrons to hazardous conditions. The staggering jury award highlights the life-altering consequences of such preventable incidents and may prompt renewed scrutiny of premises liability laws to better protect the public.