Skip to main content Negligent Security Lawyer in Tampa
201 N. Franklin Street, 7th FloorTampa, FL 33602
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Negligent Security Lawyer in Tampa
When you visit a venue that is open to the public or hosts a private social event, you expect the venue to keep you safe from a terrible, unforeseen incident. Whether you have season tickets to watch the Lightning in action or spend your Saturdays at one of Tampa’s popular farmers’ markets, the owner or manager of the venue has a duty of care to protect you against harm. Public venues such as retail stores, parking garages, and rental properties assume a duty of care to protect you, and when they fail to fulfill their legal obligations, they have violated one or more premises liability laws.
For example, a parking lot operator is responsible for ensuring you are protected from criminals by strategically installing security cameras on all levels, as well as throughout each level. If a security camera malfunctions, the parking lot operator must act with a sense of urgency by replacing the defective security camera. Failing to promptly replace a defective security camera can make the parking lot operator legally liable for any injuries sustained because of the commission of a crime in the area where the camera malfunctioned.
If you sustained injuries because of the negligence of a property owner and/or manager, you should consult with a negligent security lawyer in Tampa to explore your legal options. Your attorney has to prove the four elements of negligence are present before determining whether you have a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit. The legal counselor that you hire conducts an extensive investigation to gather physical evidence and interview witnesses. An experienced negligent security lawyer in Tampa also possesses the negotiating skills to reach a favorable settlement before your case goes to trial.
For more than 30 years, Morgan and Morgan has represented clients that sustain injuries because of negligent security at private and public events. We recruit the most experienced investigators to work side-by-side with every negligence security lawyer in Tamps that is part of our team of premises liability attorneys. After completing an investigation, the Morgan and Morgan attorney assigned to your case presents your legal options before both of you decide how to proceed with your case.
Schedule a free case evaluation today with a Morgan and Morgan attorney to review the facts of your premises liability case.
Get answers to commonly asked questions about our legal services and learn how we may assist you with your case.
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What Are Common Examples of Negligent Security?
Security teams at public venues should receive comprehensive training that protects the public against criminal activities. However, many employees of security departments at public venues do not receive adequate training because the department is woefully understaffed and/or there are not any experienced security officers on the staff that possess the teaching credentials to conduct training sessions. Another serious downside of an inadequately staffed security team concerns hiring inexperienced security staff to make up for consistent employment shortfalls.
The lack of security staff is another example of negligent security. Staffing issues leave holes in the surveillance of each square foot of a public venue. Seasoned criminals know how to exploit the staffing holes to commit crimes. The lack of security cameras or one or more defective security cameras represents another type of negligent security example that can lead to the commission of one or more crimes. Older public venues sometimes experience infrastructure issues that management or ownership fails to address. For instance, one or more exit and/or entrance doors no longer lock properly, which allows criminals to gain access to off-limit areas of a public venue. Poor lighting, broken down gates, and malfunctioning security alarms complete the list of common negligence security examples at public venues.
Just one improperly trained security guard or member of a security team at a public event can lead to a crime being committed against an attendee of the public event. Some of the crimes committed at public events such as outdoor concerts and shopping malls include theft, assault, robbery, and even murder. If you sustained injuries at a public event because of negligent security, immediately contact a negligent security lawyer in Tampa from Morgan and Morgan.
What Is the Process for Filing a Negligent Security Claim?
One of the most important reasons to have an experienced premises liability attorney in your corner involves following the right steps when the time comes to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. The negligent security lawyer in Tamp that you hire from Morgan and Morgan walks you through the entire claim process during the free case evaluation.
Call 911
Victims of crimes find themselves in emergencies, which means the first step is to call 911 and report the commission of a crime. Although many public venues devote resources to a security department, you want an outside team of law enforcement officers to conduct an investigation into the crime that caused you physical, emotional, and/or financial harm. The team of law enforcement personnel that respond to your 911 call submit a formal report to the agency they represent. Your attorney requests a copy of the official police report to add to the physical evidence collected by a Morgan and Morgan investigator.
Seek Medical Care
If you sustained one or more injuries, you should seek medical attention as quickly as possible after the commission of the crime that hurt you. One of the most significant reasons for filing a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages is to recover the costs associated with diagnostic tests, treatment programs, and physical therapy sessions. Your healthcare provider also might recommend taking a prescription medication and/or using an assistive device to compensate for the negative impact of an injury.
Report Financial Losses
Some negligent security cases result in financial losses, such as a theft of a wallet or stealing an automobile. As soon as possible after a crime, you should report stolen bank and credit cards to the appropriate financial institutions. A thief who steals a bank or credit card because of negligent security typically tries to use the card right after the theft. Reporting stolen bank and credit cards prevents the thief from cashing in on negligent security.
Contact a Florida-Licensed Premises Liability Attorney
An experienced negligent security lawyer in Tampa can help you fight back against being a victim of a crime. The compassionate and understanding attorneys at Morgan and Morgan ensure every one of our clients that sustained injuries and/or suffered financial losses because of negligent security receives the type of professional support they deserve. Your negligent security lawyer in Tampa also recommends a legal strategy to help you recover all of your financial losses.
Submit a Demand Letter
After conducting a detailed investigation, your Morgan and Morgan attorney determines whether you have a persuasive enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. If your lawyer determines you have enough compelling evidence, the legal counselor sends a demand letter to the other party. A demand letter represents a legal document that describes what unfolded before, during, and after the incident caused you harm. A demand letter for negligent security should clearly define the factors that contributed to inadequate security. You also should include the value of the compensation you want, as well as how your attorney calculated the value of monetary damages.
Try Negotiating a Settlement
Before we litigate a negligent security case in front of a judge, our team of premises liability attorneys attempts to negotiate a settlement with the other party. Negotiations start when your legal counselor submits an offer to the other party’s attorney. The other party can either accept or deny the offer, as well as send your negligent security lawyer in Tampa a counteroffer. You might go through several rounds of counteroffers before both sides reach an agreement or decide to take the case to the trial phase of the litigation process.
What Is the Deadline for Filing a Negligent Security Lawsuit in Florida?
Each state has established a deadline for filing a premises liability lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. Called the statute of limitations, the deadline set for filing a civil lawsuit in most states is between two and four years, with some states going as high as six years and as low as just one year. Florida has established the statute of limitations for filing a premises liability lawsuit at four years. The clock starts ticking on your negligent security case on the day when you sustained injuries and/or suffered financial losses.
Although four years is more than enough time to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages, you should file your lawsuit as quickly as possible after the negligent security incident. There are two prominent reasons why you should act with a sense of urgency. First, you need the money to pay bills, such as medical expenses and any damage done to your property. Second, your negligent security lawyer in Tampa needs to interview witnesses as soon as possible after the incident to ensure the most accurate descriptions of what transpired. If you fail to meet the statute of limitations as set by Florida law for filing a civil lawsuit, you can expect the court clerk who is processing your claim to dismiss the lawsuit.
How Does My Attorney Prove Negligence?
Your lawyer must prove the same four elements of negligence for a premises liability case as an attorney must prove for a personal injury case.
First, you must prove the venue owner or operator had a duty of care to protect you against criminal activities. A vast majority of public venue owners and operators assume a duty of care to protect visitors like you from sustaining injuries as a result of a crime.
Second, the public venue owner and/or operator has to violate the duty of care doctrine. Violating the duty of care doctrine means the owner and/or operator failed to meet the legal obligation to protect you against harm. For example, a stadium management team assumes legal liability for a crime committed because there were not enough qualified security guards working the event where you sustained injuries and/or suffered financial losses.
Third, negligent security must have directly caused your injuries. The attorney representing the venue owner or operator will try to demonstrate you sustained your injuries because of another reason. Your premises liability attorney from Morgan and Morgan will submit copies of medical records to show the judge hearing your case that negligent security caused you harm.
Finally, your negligent security lawyer in Tampa must demonstrate that negligent security caused financial losses. This requires you to submit copies of medical bills, as well as copies of bank and credit card statements.
Schedule a free case evaluation with one of the premises liability attorneys at Morgan and Morgan to learn more about how to build a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.
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