Florida Court Affirms $13 Million Verdict in Wrongful Death Product Liability Case
The Florida Third District Court of Appeals has upheld a $13 million verdict in a wrongful death product liability case litigated by The Haggard Law Firm, led by attorneys Pedro Echarte and Todd Michaels, along with co-counsel Ernesto Santos of HALPERN | SANTOS | PINKERT, and Haggard Law appellate attorney Jim Blecke. This decision, which stems from a verdict in Miami-Dade County Court in July 2023, involves the carbon monoxide poisoning death of Matthew Burns, a beloved father of two, resulting from his use of a piece of equipment he rented from Sunbelt Rentals, Inc. Court’s Decision on Expert Testimony The court’s ruling addressed the defendant’s objections regarding the testimony of two plaintiff’s experts under the Daubert standard, as well as the claim that one of the Estate’s experts provided “surprise” testimony. Sunbelt Rentals, the defendant in the case, argued that excluding this expert testimony would have left the record insufficient to support the jury’s verdict and requested an entire dismissal of the case. The appellate court rejected these arguments and affirmed the jury’s decision, ensuring justice for the Burns family (click below to read the court opinion). The Tragic Incident and Preventable Death On July 12, 2019, Matthew Burns tragically lost his life due to carbon monoxide poisoning while operating a “Shot Blaster” machine, which he had rented from Sunbelt Rentals. Attorneys Echarte, Michaels, and Santos argued that Sunbelt Rentals was negligent in renting out the equipment without the necessary safety equipment, including a carbon monoxide monitor, and failing to warn Mr. Burns of the need