Case Update: Long-Lost Safety Deposit Items Show Up At Orlando Auction

In 2017, we represented a woman who lost over $100,000 worth of valuables after a banking institution misplaced the safety deposit box she had used to safeguard her property. Despite the bank’s negligence in protecting her property, the personal injury case was lost on a technicality – the statute of limitations to bring forth a lawsuit had run out. Her valuables were lost forever. 

Or so we thought.

Chance and Luck Combine to Recover Lost Valuables

In 2019, a chance glimpse at a news report led our client to an auction being conducted by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Unclaimed Property Division. A friend happened to see a news report on the upcoming auction, forwarded the clip on to our client, who then noticed one of the necklaces up for auction was one she had stored in the safety deposit box.

The client contacted us immediately and we rushed to the auction site armed with the affidavits, appraisals, and court documents that had been used in her case against the bank. Amazingly, all of her missing safety deposit box valuables were there. Somehow, her items had been turned over to the state as unclaimed property. 

“We were fortuitous and lucky that our client’s friend saw the news segment. Her property would have been auctioned off underneath her nose without her ever knowing about it,” Andres Beregovich, Esq. said.

In the end, our client was able to recover all of her lost property.

Click here to read the full story in the Orlando Sentinel.

Perseverance Pays Off

This case is a perfect example of how perseverance and chance can sometimes combine to influence a case outcome. It was chance that led our client to check her safety deposit box in 2016, only to find her valuables missing. It was perseverance that helped us bring the case to court. It was chance that the friend saw the news report and perseverance that drove the client and attorney Andres Beregovich to the auction site, ready to recover her property. It was by chance that all of her property was still intact and together and it was perseverance that meant The Beregovich Law Firm still had all of the case files and proof of ownership needed to recover the property. 

If you are in need of legal representation in a personal injury case, contact The Beregovich Law Firm today at (800) 631-9009 or email us to arrange a consultation to discuss your situation. We will provide you with an honest assessment of your situation and advise you of your best options. 

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Personal Injury Can Take The Form Of Financial Loss As Well As Physical Injury

There’s a common misconception that you must be physically injured by another party to file a personal injury or negligence lawsuit. That is not true. In legal terms, “injury” or “loss” can take many forms, including financial losses.

We recently represented a client who lost over $100,000 worth of valuables from what should have been the safest place to store them – a safety deposit box at the local branch of a national banking institution.

As reported in the Orlando Sentinel, a school teacher had been using a safety deposit box at a local bank to safeguard family heirlooms, jewelry, cash, and gold coins for 13 years. When she went to open the box in 2017, she discovered the box was missing and the bank had no idea where it was. Eventually, a box was found, which the bank assured her was hers. However, upon opening the box with the help of a locksmith, none of our clients belongings were inside (to date, our clients’ items are still missing).

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Soon thereafter, the teacher approached us for help, wondering if she had any sort of legal recourse for the loss of her property. The way our personal injury attorney, Andres Beregovich, saw it, she did.

Negligence Plays a Key Role

At the heart of the matter are the bank’s actions. The bank should have protections in place to prevent the loss of safety deposit boxes and the property they contain, but somehow a loss or theft occurred anyway. This is negligence.

When a person or entity neglects to fulfill the duty entrusted to them or takes actions that lead to the failure of that duty and it results in a loss or injury to another party, it is possible for victims to pursue negligence claims.  

Even though our client did not suffer a physical injury, she has suffered a substantial loss, not just in terms of money, but she has also lost items that cannot be replaced. Although it is unlikely she will ever recover her property, we can help her recover financial compensation for her losses, which she can then use to pay the expenses she had planned to pay with the items in her safety deposit box.

Questions About Personal Injury? Contact Us!

There are many nuances in a personal injury situation. The best way to determine if your situation qualifies as a negligence case is to speak directly with Andres Beregovich, personal injury attorney.

Call The Beregovich Law Firm at (800) 631-9009 or email us to arrange a consultation and discuss your situation. There is no obligation and no charge for consultations. We only get paid if you win your case.

 

Photo:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com

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