Georgia residents may have heard about about the death of a 2-year-old child that was pulled into the water by an alligator at a Disney Word Resort. According to reports, Disney knew of the problem as numerous employees had expressed concerns about guests getting close enough to the animals to feed them.
One employee who works as a custodian reportedly warned his employer that alligators were seen swimming near the shore. While there are “No swimming” signs posted by the shore, there were no signs warning guests that alligators were present in the water and that an alligator attack could occur. An individual also reported that the alligators had become desensitized to humans as guests were found to be feeding them. This was known by the company, though it appeared that no action was taken to prevent the feedings from continuing.
Disney responded to the incident by closing all of the beaches to guests. A spokesperson for the theme park stated that the company noted that it has continued to cooperate with Florida Fish and Wildlife. The toddler’s body was eventually recovered the following day about 10 to 15 yards away from where he disappeared.
When a preventable accident occurs on someone’s property to a person who was legally entitled to be there, the victim or surviving family members could seek compensation from the owner of the property through a premises liability lawsuit filed with the assistance of an attorney. These cases are often based on the question of whether the owner was or should have been aware of the dangerous condition but failed to take any corrective action.