If you were attacked because a property owner in Port St. Lucie, Florida, failed to provide adequate security, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers at (772) 247-3374 for legal help today. Your consultation with an experienced Port St. Lucie negligent security lawyer is free of charge.
You shouldn’t have to worry about your safety every time you visit a store, dine in a restaurant, or attend a sports event. With over 80 years of combined experience and over $500 million recovered, our team knows how to help you get justice.
Why Choose Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers to Handle My Negligent Security Claim in Port St. Lucie, FL?
Personal injury cases involving negligent security are complex. They involve both questions about the criminal attack and the property owner’s failures.
Our Port St. Lucie personal injury attorneys at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers have the legal skills, experience, and resources to take on these challenging cases.
When you hire us, you can expect:
- Proven results. We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients
- Trial-tested attorneys. We’ve been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and the Avvo lawyer rating service
- Client-centered advocacy. We know these cases involve more than just dollars and cents–the ordeal can impact your entire life. We give every client the support and attention they deserve
To learn more about our skills and experience, contact our Port St. Lucie negligent security attorneys today.
What Is a Negligent Security Case?
Violent crimes often occur because property owners fail to take commonsense security precautions. Negligent security claims seek to hold them financially responsible.
Negligent security cases are governed by Florida premises liability laws. Property owners have legal responsibilities when they let others onto their property. They must take steps to keep visitors reasonably safe. That includes taking reasonable security precautions.
When property owners fail to provide adequate security, they can be liable for injuries caused by violent crimes.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Negligent Security in Port St. Lucie, FL?
Negligent security cases can involve a range of situations. They can arise from assault, gun violence, sexual assault, and even robbery.
Examples of responsible parties can include owners of:
- Colleges and universities
- Hotels and resorts
- Parking lots and parking garages
- Bars, restaurants, and nightclubs
- Office buildings
- Shopping malls
- Retail stores
- Nursing homes
- Rental apartment complexes
- Schools and daycare centers
- Pawn shops
- Sports and entertainment venues
- Government buildings
It can be tough to prove the property owner is liable for your damages. After all, it was someone else who hurt you. Our attorneys have the tools to collect evidence and prove that it was the property owner’s security failure that allowed your injuries to occur.
How Much Is My Port St. Lucie Negligent Security Case Worth?
The value of any personal injury case is fact-dependent. No lawyer can promise a specific outcome.
Facts that we’ll evaluate as we’re calculating your case value include:
- How strong is the evidence showing who was responsible?
- How serious are your injuries?
- What medical treatment have you received, and will you need future care?
- How much income have you lost?
- Will your injuries affect your future ability to earn a living?
- Is there insurance coverage or another source of compensation available?
- Are there any disputes about how the attack occurred or who was responsible?
- How have your injuries affected your daily life and future?
Calculating the value of a personal injury case is complicated. Your financial expenses only tell part of the story. The fear and trauma caused by a violent attack are very real. Still, it can be tough to pin a dollar value on these intangible damages.
Our lawyers have helped victims like you in the past–and we can ensure your demand for compensation reflects the losses you’ve suffered.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Negligent Security Victims in Florida?
Damages in Florida are classified as economic or non-economic.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health treatment and therapy
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are awarded to account for things like:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Anxiety and fear
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Damage to relationships
Careful documentation is always important to proving your damages. Keep any receipts related to your treatment. You can also help by taking photos as you heal and keeping a journal explaining how the ordeal has impacted your daily life.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Partly Responsible for My Injuries?
Florida uses a modified comparative negligence system for most negligence claims. If you share responsibility for your injuries, your compensation can generally be reduced according to your percentage of fault. A person found more than 50% at fault generally cannot recover damages under this rule.
Negligent security cases have an important additional rule. When someone lawfully on commercial or real property is injured by a third party’s criminal act, the jury must consider the fault of all people who contributed to the injury. That can include the person who committed the attack.
Because fault can significantly affect the amount you recover, evidence about both the attack and the property’s security measures can be important.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Port St. Lucie Negligent Security Lawyer?
We believe everyone deserves the strongest possible legal representation. Like most law firms, we work on a contingency fee basis.
This means:
- You pay nothing upfront
- You pay nothing until we win
- Your fees are collected as a percentage of your settlement or verdict
This structure gives your lawyers the strongest possible motivation to fight for every dollar you deserve.
Our Negligent Security Attorneys in Port St. Lucie Represent Clients With All Types of Injuries
At Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we represent clients who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Facial and dental injuries
- Eye injuries
- Stab and puncture wounds
- Concussions
- Broken ribs
- Back injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Severe bruising and internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Fatal injuries and the wrongful death of a family member
Our attorneys have the expertise to handle any type of injury claim. Even if your injuries aren’t listed here, we’re here to help. Reach out today to learn how our Port St. Lucie negligent security attorneys can help you fight for justice.
What Do I Have to Prove to Recover Compensation in a Negligent Security Lawsuit in Florida?
You must prove several key elements to recover damages in a negligent security case:
- The crime was reasonably foreseeable
- The owner failed to take reasonable security measures
- The risk, combined with the owner’s failure, made the property unreasonably dangerous
- You were attacked and harmed, so you suffered damages
Essentially, you’ll have to prove the property owner was negligent. In other words, they failed to use the amount of caution that was reasonable under the circumstances.
How Do I Prove the Crime Was Reasonably Foreseeable?
Property owners aren’t automatically responsible for all violence that occurs on their premises. They might not be responsible if the act was unpredictable or random.
Evidence used to address foreseeability will depend on the type of property and circumstances surrounding the attack. Relevant evidence may include prior incidents, the nature of the business, known security problems, and other facts showing whether criminal activity was reasonably foreseeable. Special statutory rules apply to certain properties, including multifamily residential properties.
Our lawyers will conduct an investigation. We know how to find the evidence you’ll need to prove the owner should have known about the risk.
How Do I Prove the Owner’s Security Precautions Were Inadequate?
Proving the owner should have anticipated the risk is only the first step. You’ll also have to prove their security precautions were inadequate.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. What’s reasonable will depend on the circumstances. Security that’s adequate for a daycare center will be different from what’s adequate for a nightclub.
Reasonable security precautions depend on the situation, but might include:
- Ensuring locks and gates are functioning
- Hiring physical security guards
- Installing security cameras
- Training employees to recognize and respond to threats of violence
- Installing locks, gates, and fences
- Ensuring that lighting is adequate in all accessible areas
- Installing metal detectors at entrances
- Keeping keys and passcodes to enter the property under control
Our lawyers will carefully evaluate the property owner’s security measures. We’ll obtain crime maps and police reports from the areas as we’re building your case. We’ll use those reports to evaluate the types of security measures that were reasonable based on the specific situation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit Based on Negligent Security in Florida?
The statute of limitations in Florida is two years from the date of the incident. Missing this legal deadline means losing your right to damages.
Exceptions to the rule are fairly rare. Shorter deadlines can apply if a government entity is involved.
In all cases, it’s important to seek legal counsel quickly. Witnesses easily forget, and security footage can disappear. Waiting always makes it harder to locate the strong evidence you’ll need to prove your case.
Contact Our Experienced Port St. Lucie Negligent Security Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
If a negligent property owner allowed your attack to occur, you deserve to be compensated. Our team at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers knows how to help you get the justice you deserve. To learn more about your rights and options after an attack on someone else’s premises, call for a free consultation with a Port St. Lucie negligent security lawyer.
