Tia Jones Obtained a Dismissal for Fraud Upon the Court. Jason Azzarone Successfully Argues for Affirmance to the Second District Court of Appeal.

Tia Jones successfully argued to the Trial Court that the Plaintiff’s Complaint should be dismissed for Fraud Upon the Court where the firm represented the owner of an apartment complex. The Plaintiff alleged that she slipped and fell while walking through her apartment after advising the Defendant of a water leak. Over the course of discovery, the Defendant discovered that the Plaintiff had numerous back surgeries ranging over a decade which were not disclosed. The Defendant also learned that the Plaintiff had sought disability benefits for the exact injuries she was alleging stem from the slip and fall. The Trial Court granted the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for Fraud on the Court, finding that the Plaintiff was not truthful in her discovery responses.

The Plaintiff appealed the Trial Court’s decision to the Second District Court of Appeal. On appeal, the Plaintiff/Appellant argued that the Trial Court erroneously granted the Motion to Dismiss because the issue of the Plaintiff’s past medical care went to her credibility which the jury should determine. Plaintiff/Appellant also argued that the Plaintiff did not intentionally misrepresent her past medical condition. Following oral argument, the Fourth District Court of Appeal entered a Per Curiam Affirmance.