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Crime should not happen on properties that took reasonable security measures. Inadequate lighting attracts attackers. Broken gates invite intruders. Unmonitored cameras provide no deterrent.
When a property owner ignores known risks, the visitors who relied on that protection pay the price.
You went to a hotel. You walked through a parking garage. You visited an apartment complex. You did nothing wrong.
The attack happened because someone with a duty to protect visitors failed at that duty. Now you carry the trauma, the medical bills, and the fear of returning to public spaces.
At Felice Trial Attorneys, we represent victims of assault, robbery, sexual assault, and other criminal acts that occurred on negligently secured properties throughout Palm Beach County.
Our negligent security lawyers investigate the property’s history, document the security failures, and prepare each case for jury presentation from day one. We take over claims that previous firms declined or stalled.
Call (561) 444-8822 anytime, day or night.
Florida Negligent Security Law and How We Build Your Case
Florida property owners owe duties of care to people who enter their property based on visitor status under Florida Statute 768.075 and Florida common law. Business customers receive the highest level of protection. Social guests receive a more limited duty. Trespassers receive minimal protection except in specific circumstances.
For a West Palm Beach negligent security claim to succeed, we prove four elements:
- Duty of care: The property owner owed a legal duty based on your status as an invitee, licensee, or trespasser.
- Breach of duty: The owner failed to take reasonable security measures given known or foreseeable risks.
- Causation: The security failure was a substantial factor in allowing the criminal act to occur.
- Damages: You suffered physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of the attack.
The hardest element in most negligent security cases is foreseeability. Florida law does not impose strict liability on property owners for crimes by third parties. We must show the owner knew or should have known the criminal act was reasonably foreseeable based on prior incidents, area crime patterns, or property-specific risks.
Common Negligent Security Settings in Palm Beach County
Negligent security cases arise in many property settings across West Palm Beach and the surrounding areas. The table below summarizes common locations, the security failures we investigate, and the criminal acts most often associated with each setting.
| Property Setting | Common Security Failures | Typical Incidents |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment complexes | Broken gates, dim lighting, defective door locks, no patrols, unrepaired fencing | Assaults, robberies, sexual assaults, home invasions |
| Hotels and motels | Inoperable room locks, unmonitored entrances, no key card protocols, broken cameras | Room invasions, parking area attacks, sexual assaults |
| Parking garages and lots | Inadequate lighting, broken cameras, no security patrols, blind corners | Carjackings, muggings, abductions, sexual assaults |
| Bars and nightclubs | Insufficient bouncers, no ID verification, unsupervised exits, overserving | Fights, stabbings, shootings, sexual assaults |
| Shopping centers | Broken cameras, no roving patrols, poor exterior lighting | Robberies, parking lot assaults, abductions |
| Gas stations and convenience stores | Single staffing late hours, broken cameras, poor lighting, no panic alarms | Armed robberies, assaults, shootings |
| Office buildings | Unmonitored access points, no key card systems, broken cameras | After-hours robberies, sexual assaults, employee attacks |
Property owners do not face automatic liability when crimes occur. The setting and circumstances determine whether reasonable security measures were in place. We investigate each property’s history and security practices to establish what the owner knew and what the owner should have done.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a West Palm Beach Negligent Security Claim?
Florida law allows victims to pursue negligent security claims without an attorney. The practical reality differs sharply. These cases require investigation tools, legal knowledge, and trial preparation that few victims possess on their own.
A West Palm Beach negligent security lawyer:
- Conducts property history investigation: We obtain police call records, prior incident reports, and crime statistics for the location and surrounding area.
- Retains security consultants: We work with retired law enforcement, premises liability professionals, and industry analysts to evaluate the property against reasonable standards of care.
- Documents all damages: We coordinate medical records, mental health treatment, lost wages, and future care projections to capture the full scope of harm.
- Identifies all responsible parties: We trace property ownership, management companies, security contractors, and corporate entities to maximize available insurance coverage.
- Files within deadlines: We file suit before Florida’s two-year personal injury statute of limitations expires under Florida Statute 95.11.
- Negotiates and litigates: We pursue settlement when offers reflect case value and present cases to Palm Beach County juries when they do not.
Victims who attempt these claims alone often face quick denials and settlement offers far below case value. Property owners and their insurers count on victims lacking the resources to investigate properly.
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Why Victims Choose Felice Trial Attorneys for Negligent Security Claims
Negligent security cases carry challenges that defeat firms unwilling to invest in deep investigation. Property owners deny responsibility. Insurance carriers point to the criminal as the only at-fault party. Cases that look strong at first glance require evidence of foreseeability built piece by piece.
Felice Trial Attorneys brings several advantages to West Palm Beach negligent security claims:
- Investigation depth from day one: We pull police reports, crime statistics, prior incident records, and witness statements before insurance companies prepare their defense.
- Trial preparation as default: We build every case for a Palm Beach County jury, which forces insurance carriers to take settlement valuations seriously.
- 24/7 client communication: We answer your calls and respond to your messages around the clock, addressing the silence that drives most clients to switch firms.
- Case takeover capability: When previous attorneys declined or stalled your negligent security claim, we conduct fresh investigation before the two-year statute of limitations runs.
- Catastrophic injury focus: Our practice handles traumatic brain injuries, sexual assault trauma, and gunshot wound cases that demand sophisticated damages presentation.
These factors matter because negligent security recoveries depend on evidence quality, not the obvious nature of the harm. A crime occurring on a property does not by itself prove the owner was negligent.
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Compensation Available in Florida Negligent Security Cases
Florida negligent security verdicts and settlements compensate victims for physical, emotional, and financial harm. We present each damage category with documentation that supports maximum recovery.
Economic damages cover measurable financial losses:
- Past and future medical expenses: Emergency treatment, surgeries, rehabilitation, and ongoing care needs documented through medical records and life care planners.
- Lost wages and earning capacity: Time missed from work and reduced ability to earn future income, supported by employment records and vocational professionals.
- Mental health treatment costs: Therapy, medication, and trauma-focused care for PTSD, anxiety, and depression following the attack.
- Out-of-pocket expenses: Transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, and other costs created by the harm.
Non-economic damages compensate for harm that lacks a price tag:
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain from injuries and ongoing discomfort during recovery.
- Mental anguish: Fear, anxiety, depression, and emotional distress created by the attack.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Reduced ability to participate in activities, relationships, and routines that brought meaning before the incident.
- Disfigurement and scarring: Visible reminders of the harm that affect self-image and social interaction.
Punitive damages may apply when the property owner’s conduct rises to gross negligence or intentional disregard for safety. Examples include prior knowledge of severe risks combined with deliberate inaction.
Florida modified comparative negligence under Florida Statute 768.81, effective March 24, 2023, reduces recovery by the victim’s percentage of fault and bars recovery entirely if fault exceeds 50 percent. We address comparative fault arguments early in the case to protect your recovery.
Contact us TodayFrequently Asked Questions
Multiple parties may share liability depending on the property and circumstances. Potential defendants include the property owner, the property management company, the security contractor hired to protect the premises, and in some cases the parent corporation or franchise owner. We identify every entity with a duty of care and available insurance coverage.
Foreseeability turns on what the property owner knew or should have known about criminal risk. Evidence includes prior similar crimes at the property, police call history, area crime statistics, and known security gaps that previous incidents exposed. The legal standard is whether a reasonable owner in the same position would have anticipated the risk and taken protective steps.
Catching and prosecuting the criminal is separate from a negligent security civil claim. The civil case targets the property owner who failed to provide reasonable security, not the unknown attacker. We build the case around the property’s failures and the foreseeability of the harm, regardless of whether police identify a suspect.
Florida allows two years from the date of the incident to file most personal injury lawsuits, including negligent security claims. The deadline applies whether you start the case immediately or wait. Cases involving minors, mental incapacity, or fraudulent concealment may extend the deadline in limited circumstances. We file suit before the deadline while continuing investigation.
Felice Trial Attorneys handles negligent security cases on contingency. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Costs for investigation, retained professionals, and court filings come out of any recovery, not from your resources during the case.
Most negligent security cases settle before trial because property owners and insurers want to avoid jury verdicts in claims involving sympathetic victims and clear failures. We prepare every case as if a Palm Beach County jury will hear it, which often produces faster and larger settlements. When fair settlement does not arrive, we present the case at trial.
Negligent security claims at workplaces interact with Florida workers’ compensation rules. Workers’ compensation typically covers on-the-job injuries regardless of fault but limits recovery. A separate negligent security claim against a third party, such as a property owner who is not your employer, may proceed alongside workers’ compensation. We analyze each situation to identify all available recovery sources.
Talk to West Palm Beach Negligent Security Lawyers Today
The two-year deadline runs from the date of the incident regardless of when you decide to act. Insurance carriers count on victims feeling defeated by trauma and waiting too long. Property owners count on victims accepting that crime is no one’s fault but the criminal’s.
Florida law says otherwise when reasonable security would have prevented the harm. Felice Trial Attorneys takes negligent security cases that demand serious investigation and trial preparation. We bring fresh strategy to claims that previous firms declined or mishandled. We answer your calls. We document every failure. We prepare your case for a Palm Beach County jury.
Call (561) 444-8822 anytime, day or night. We meet victims at our West Palm Beach office at 3 Harvard Circle or wherever circumstances require.
The consultation costs nothing. The decision to act preserves your ability to hold the property owner accountable.
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