Miramar homeowners association pays up after woman loses leg to snake bite

Homeowners association pays $5 million to victim

MIRAMAR, Fla. ā€“ A snake bite cost a woman her leg and a MiramarĀ homeowners association millions of dollars.

A University of Florida study found thatĀ venomous water moccasins are more likely to be encountered in the area around Silver Shores than in the Everglades.

"Yeah, people talkĀ about the snakes," one resident leaving the gated community told Local 10 News investigative reporterĀ Jeff Weinsier.

"When it rains, they come out a lot," Alex BeloĀ said.

Belo lives on the water and saidĀ he can barely go outside because of the snake situation behind his home.

Silver Shores is located just west of Interstate 75 on Pembroke Road.

Several of the homes back up to an undevelopedĀ mitigation area. It's the perfect natural habitat for water moccasins to thrive.Ā 

According to a UFĀ snake study, the chanceĀ of a water moccasin encounter occurring in Silver Shores is 8.6 times higher thanĀ in the Everglades, Big Cypress or Loxahatchee.

When UF researchers kayaked and walked around the area, they encountered 69 venomousĀ snakes during their threeĀ visits.

"The study done by the University of Florida, to me, was incrediblyĀ revealing," Ron Magill, of Zoo Miami, said.

Magill was an expert witness in a case filed against Silver Shores Master Association and KW Property Management after a resident was bitten.

"People definitely need to be careful of this now. Snakes are coming out now, especially with the rains," Magill said.Ā Ā 

Attorney Brent Reitman and partner Joseph Slama reached a $5 millionĀ settlement with the HOA and theĀ property management company.

Their client, a Silver Shores resident, was headed outside when a water moccasin hiding in the track of her sliding glass door bit her big toe.

The victim's leg was eventually amputated below the knee.

The 37-year-old victim's leg eventually had to be amputated below the knee as a result, the attorneys said.

Slama and Reitman saidĀ their client was never warned about the severe snake issue in her backyard, despite letters and complaints from residents.

They saidĀ the issue was discussed several times at board meetings.

TheĀ attorneys saidĀ the mitigation area that backs up to residents' homes is owned and maintained by the Silver Shores Master Association.

"They had been getting complaints from residents as early as three years before this happened to our client," Reitmen said.

"They simply denied that there was a problem," Slama said.

Magill said theĀ snakes won't chase peopleĀ down, and there are ways to prevent getting bitten.

"They will go under things like potted plants, they will go under things like grills,Ā they will go under things like garbage cans --Ā anything that they can get under to get shelter and be protected, that is where they will be," Magill said.

Researchers say the area around the Silver Shores community is a hotbed for dangerous snakes.

"What's the message to other homeowners associations that may have a similar problem?"Ā Weinsier asked Slama.

"If you became aware of the presence of venomous snakes in your community, just get the message out," he said.

An attorney for KW Property Management saidĀ the company was not negligent and did nothing wrong. Attorney Frank Simone saidĀ the victim was bitten by a wild animal, and the association is restricted in what it can do in theĀ undeveloped mitigation area.

Simone saidĀ insurance companies settle cases to cap their financial exposure.

Regardless, warning signs have now been put up in the area, warning residents of the potential dangers. The victim has since moved away from the area.


About the Author:

Jeff Weinsier joined Local 10 News in September 1994. He is currently an investigative reporter for Local 10. He is also responsible for the very popular Dirty Dining segments.