A Pinellas County resident has filed a lawsuit against his landlord, alleging negligence after suffering injuries due to a hazardous condition in his rental property. Charles B. Wood initiated the complaint on July 8, 2024, in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, accusing Constance E. Noel, D.O., of failing to maintain a safe living environment.

According to the complaint, Wood was residing at a property located at 118 Highland Avenue in Dunedin, Florida, which is owned and leased by Noel. On July 12, 2020, Wood experienced a severe fall when his foot went through the defective shower floor of the rented dwelling. The plaintiff claims that Noel neglected her duty as a landlord by not adequately maintaining the premises and failing to warn him about the dangerous condition of the shower floor.

The lawsuit details several accusations against Noel. It asserts that she breached her duty of care by either creating or failing to repair and warn about the hazardous condition. Specifically, it alleges that “the shower floor in the rented dwelling was weak, damaged, not properly maintained, installed or was otherwise defective,” leading to Wood’s accident and subsequent injuries.