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Tampa Negligent Security Lawyer

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Tampa, Florida Negligent Security Attorney Vanguard AttorneyIn today’s society, we go to malls, spend nights in hotels and frequent restaurants on a regular basis. As consumers, we expect owners who solicit our business to provide us with reasonably safe surroundings. However, the unfortunate reality is that injuries caused by negligent security are far too common in Florida. At Vanguard Attorneys, our caring legal team handles personal injury cases involving negligent security. Our mission is to protect the rights of our clients and to obtain justice on their behalf.

Prior to visiting an establishment, we can typically review a business’s security records, such as:

  • History of locks
  • Security lights
  • Fence maintenance
  • Past surveillance tapes

If you were injured, call (813) 680-2007 to schedule an initial consultation at no additional cost to you.

Determining Liability for Your Injuries

It is the Florida business owner’s responsibility to ensure security measures are up to par. If the owner fails to do so, the business is putting you or your loved one at risk. Therefore, you may have a personal injury claim in Tampa if you were attacked and injured while at a business that knew, or should have known, it had a security problem.

The most common types of attacks include:

  • Sexual offenses
  • Gunshot
  • Stabbing
  • Beating

The businesses that can be involved in negligent security claims in Tampa include bars, restaurants, apartment complexes, hotels and motels, schools, colleges, daycare facilities, gas stations, and other public and private properties.

Elements of a Negligent Security Case in Florida

Negligent security is an issue that increases the odds of someone becoming a victim of a crime while visiting a property in Tampa. In personal injury law, negligent security is recognized as a tort, or preventable wrongdoing. You may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against a business entity for negligent security if evidence of the following elements exists:

  1. The property owner had a duty to provide reasonable security measures based on the history of crime or location of the property.
  2. The property owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable crimes.
  3. Your injuries or losses would not have occurred but for the property owner’s a breach of the duty of care.
  4. You suffered compensable losses due to the security lapse, such as physical injuries or property damage.

It is you or your lawyer’s responsibility to prove that these elements are more likely to be true than not true in a personal injury claim. This is known as a preponderance of the evidence, and it is the burden of proof in all personal injury cases. An attorney can help you gather evidence against a property owner in Tampa to build a personal injury case on your behalf.

What Are Reasonable Security Measures to Take in Tampa, Florida?

One of the key elements of a negligent security claim is proving that the property owner should have done more to prevent the crime that injured you. What constitutes reasonable security depends on the foreseeability of criminal activity. You or your lawyer must provide evidence that the security measures were lacking based on what a prudent property owner would have done in similar circumstances.

Examples of measures that a property owner should take to provide a reasonably safe environment are:Tampa, Florida Negligent Security Attorney Reasonable Measures to Take

  • Hiring a security guard
  • Using floodlights
  • Installing security cameras
  • Using an alarm system
  • Replacing locks
  • Maintaining doors, windows and other entryways
  • Performing background checks on new tenants
  • Posting warning or “No Trespassing” signs
  • Using a security fence
  • Restricting building access

Depending on the type of business, it may have specific security measures that it must take by law in Florida. For example, Florida Statutes Section 812.173 lists the security requirements for convenience stores, which are frequent targets for robberies. If a business owner fails to fulfill specific legal requirements or the general duty to provide basic security, he or she can be held liable for crime-related injuries.

When to Contact an Attorney in Tampa

It is important to hire a lawyer right away if you suffer injuries in a criminal attack while on someone else’s property in Tampa. There is a statute of limitations on personal injury cases in Florida of four years. This means you must act within four years of suffering your injury to have a valid claim for financial damages. Otherwise, the courts will refuse to hear your case.

Don’t wait to contact an attorney after your negligent security incident in Tampa. Taking legal action much sooner than four years can allow your attorney to gather key evidence while it is still available, such as accurate eyewitness statements and surveillance video footage.

How Much Does a Tampa Negligent Security Lawyer Cost?

At Vanguard Attorneys, we operate on a contingency fee basis for all negligent security cases. This means that you won’t pay your attorney a dime unless he or she wins your case. If your case does result in financial compensation for your losses and injuries, you will pay our attorney’s fees as a percentage of the overall settlement or jury verdict won – meaning you don’t have to pay your lawyer out of pocket, win or lose.

Vanguard Attorneys: Representing Injured Victims of Negligent Security

If you have been a victim of an attack, please contact Vanguard Attorneys immediately after receiving medical attention. Our Tampa catastrophic injury attorneys will begin investigating, gathering evidence and analyzing the injuries you have sustained. We will do this by recording witness statements, requesting surveillance tapes or history of LEO dispatches, and taking photographs of your injuries. Our negligent security lawyers can put our resources and decades of collective experience to work for you.

Contact our office today for more information about our services.