An umbrella vendor agreed to pay $50,000 to a woman who claimed she injured her back when she was hit by a wind-propelled beach umbrella in Miami Beach.
Maria Elena Abreu, then 41, claimed wind gusts that day became so strong that they dislodged umbrellas, one of which flew toward daughter. The woman claimed she shielded her daughter and was stabbed by the umbrella. Abreu’s counsel claimed afternoon storms in South Florida were predictable and the vendor, Esteban’s Place, had experienced previous incidents of flying umbrellas and was therefore on notice. Counsel claimed the umbrellas should have had a secure anchoring device. Defense counsel claimed the umbrellas were positioned in the sand correctly with the proper tools.
