Three people were hospitalized after a vehicle crashed into a restaurant in Southwest Miami-Dade, causing a gas leak and prompting an emergency response from local authorities.
The crash occurred at El Palacio de los Jugos near Southwest 56th Street and 151st Avenue. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene following reports that a vehicle had struck the building.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, three patients were transported to nearby hospitals. One patient was listed as a trauma alert and was transported by ground to a west-area trauma center. Two other patients were taken to local hospitals.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officials later said the individuals were in stable condition.
The impact also caused a gas leak at the restaurant, adding another potential hazard for customers, employees, first responders, and others near the scene.
Authorities have not yet released additional details regarding what caused the driver to crash into the restaurant. The investigation remains ongoing.
Car Accidents Involving Buildings and Businesses
Crashes involving vehicles striking restaurants, storefronts, offices, and other buildings can result in serious injuries even for people who were not inside the vehicle.
Customers, employees, pedestrians, drivers, and passengers may all be placed at risk when a vehicle leaves the roadway and enters a commercial property.
A Miami Car Accident Lawyer can investigate the circumstances surrounding this type of collision, including driver behavior, road conditions, surveillance footage, witness statements, vehicle damage, and available insurance coverage.
Depending on how the accident occurred, multiple legal and insurance issues may need to be evaluated.
Yes — potentially, but not simply because the car hit the restaurant.
In Florida, a restaurant generally owes customers and other business invitees a duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition. Florida courts have recognized that duty, but they have also repeatedly held that a business is not automatically required to anticipate that a vehicle will suddenly jump a curb and crash through the storefront.
For a restaurant to potentially share liability, there would usually need to be facts showing the risk was reasonably foreseeable or that the property design was unreasonably dangerous. Relevant facts could include prior vehicle crashes or near-misses at the same location, parking spaces aimed directly at glass storefronts or seating areas, missing or inadequate curbs or barriers, a layout that directs vehicles unusually close to customers, known building-code violations, or evidence that the owner knew protective measures were inadequate.
There is actually a very relevant Miami-area Florida case. In Molinares v. El Centro Gallego, Inc., a restaurant patron was struck after a vehicle drove across a curb and pinned him against the restaurant. The Third District Court of Appeal held that the restaurant was not liable under those particular facts because there was a protective sidewalk/curb and no prior history of similar vehicle accidents. Importantly, the court said the result could be different where there was no meaningful protective curb or where prior vehicle incidents had put the business on notice of the danger.
Similarly, in Graham v. Langley, a vehicle jumped a curb and crashed through the glass of a Steak ’n Shake, seriously injuring a customer. The court upheld summary judgment for the restaurant because there were no prior similar crashes and the property complied with the applicable construction codes.
So for the El Palacio de los Jugos crash you were writing about, I would not state that the restaurant may be liable unless you have facts supporting that theory. The safer and more legally accurate blog language would be:
“Depending on how the property was designed and maintained, an investigation may also examine whether any premises-related conditions contributed to the injuries. Potential issues can include parking configuration, barriers, curbs, building design, prior similar incidents, and compliance with applicable safety requirements.”
That opens the door to a potential premises-liability claim without implying El Palacio did anything wrong when the currently reported facts do not establish that.
What to Do After a Serious Miami Car Accident
After a serious crash, injured victims should seek medical attention and document the incident whenever possible. Photographs, videos, witness information, police reports, medical records, and surveillance footage can all become important when determining how an accident happened.
A Car Accident lawyer in Miami can also help injured victims understand potential claims for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and other accident-related losses.
Contact The Perazzo Law Firm
The Perazzo Law Firm represents individuals injured in car accidents throughout Miami and South Florida.
If you or a loved one was injured in a collision involving another vehicle, pedestrian, business, or commercial property, contact a Miami Car Accident Lawyer at The Perazzo Law Firm for a free initial consultation.
There are no upfront attorney’s fees, and personal injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis.
Miami Car Accident Attorney Advertising. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.