Property owners in Tampa must protect guests from reasonably foreseeable criminal acts – like assaults and robberies. If you’ve been the victim of a crime on someone else’s property, you may have the right to sue the owner for your injuries and trauma. The experienced Tampa negligent security lawyers at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help you take a stand and demand the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Since 2001, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers has helped crime victims in Tampa fight back when negligent security measures have put them in harm’s way. We give our clients a voice and help them stand up to powerful property owners, corporations, and businesses in Tampa, fighting hard to get top results for everyone we represent.
Benefit from a legal team with 119 years of combined legal experience that’s won millions for injury victims like you in cases related to Tampa taxi accidents, sexual assault cases, workers’ compensation in Tampa, workplace accidents, and more.
Contact our law office in Tampa, FL at (813) 223-6200 to get started with a free case evaluation.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Negligent Security Case in Tampa, Florida
Property owners won’t be quick to admit that their security is lacking or that their negligence put you in harm’s way. To win your negligent security case and recover compensation for your injuries, you’ll need to put a legal force in your corner.
That’s why our Tampa personal injury lawyers should be your first call for help.
We have the experience, resources, and skills you need to not only prove that the owner’s inadequate security led to your injuries, but to get them to pay you every cent you deserve.
You take the time you need to focus on recovering from your catastrophic injuries while our experienced Florida attorneys:
- Investigate the circumstances that led to the criminal act and your resulting injuries
- Identify what, if any, security measures were in place to prevent the type of injury you suffered
- Gather evidence to prove that the owner was negligent
- Defend against allegations that you provoked the assault or share responsibility for your injury
- Work closely with experts, specialists, and professionals as we work to assess the value of your negligent security claim
- Handle settlement negotiations with the property owner, their insurance carrier, and other parties on your behalf
If the property owner refuses to negotiate, our top-rated Florida litigators will be more than ready to bring your fight to a jury in Hillsborough County. We’re skilled negotiators and will work hard to get you a meaningful offer, but we’re truly at home in the courtroom.
Our reputation as successful trial attorneys can give you leverage during settlement discussions and help you walk away with an offer that represents what your negligent security claim is worth.
Contact our law office in Tampa, Florida to learn more. We provide a free case evaluation and represent clients on contingency – so there’s no cost to you until we win your negligent security case.
What is Negligent Security in Florida?
There are times when you expect to be protected when you enter a business in Tampa. Maybe the neighborhood has a history of crime or the business deals in high-value items. When you’re assaulted or attacked because the owner failed to have appropriate security measures in place, they can be liable for injuries that you suffer.
Under Florida premises liability law, property owners in Tampa have a responsibility to protect you from reasonably foreseeable criminal acts.
How? By making sure that their business or establishment has appropriate security to reduce the likelihood of crime.
Are Property Owners Always Liable for Criminal Attacks on Their Premises?
No, and every business in Tampa doesn’t have to be Fort Knox, either.
Security just needs to be appropriate, considering:
- The history of crime in the neighborhood where the property is located
- The history of criminal activity at the specific property
- The type of business that’s operated
Generally, business owners have the ability to implement whatever security they believe is necessary to thwart crime and protect visitors.
This might include:
- Installing security cameras
- Posting notices that the premises are under video observation
- Installing heavy-duty locks on the doors
- Keeping the premises and parking areas well lit
- Hiring security guards and/or bouncers
- Limiting cash on the premises
- Installing and using a safe
Under Florida law, convenience stores are subject to specific security requirements. State law defines a convenience store as a place of business that primarily sells groceries or gasoline and groceries that’s open for business between 11 PM and 5 AM.
These businesses must:
- Have a drop safe or limit cash on the premises, especially after 11 PM
- Adequately light the parking lot
- Provide a conspicuous note at the entrance stating that there’s $50 or less in the cash register
- Limit window coverings so that the view inside the store is not obstructed
A convenience store should also implement other security measures, as appropriate, to protect customers.
Ultimately, property owners will only be liable for negligent security if their security measures were inadequate, given the specific location, history of crime in the area, and type of business they run.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win My Negligent Security Claim in Tampa?
Negligent security is ultimately a matter of negligence.
When you’re the victim of an assault or criminal attack at a store in Tampa, you have to prove the following to win a negligent security claim:
- The property owner had a duty to protect you from reasonably foreseeable criminal acts because you were lawfully on the premises;
- The property owner had insufficient security measures in place to protect you, thereby breaching the duty of care owed to you;
- Inadequate security was a direct and proximate cause of your injury; and
- You’ve suffered damages.
In other words, the property owner didn’t have appropriate security to prevent a criminal attack, and you got hurt as a result.
You’ll need to demonstrate what type of security might have been appropriate – and this will require an extensive look into the property and crime in the area.
Our negligent security attorneys in Tampa will carefully analyze what security measures other similar establishments in the area had in place, the rate and history of crime in the area, and other factors specific to your case. We’ll identify weaknesses in the security and work to prove that the owner missed the mark – thereby putting you in danger.
What Types of Damages Can Be Recovered If I File a Tampa Negligent Security Lawsuit?
When you file a negligent security claim, you can potentially recover compensation for financial losses (known as economic damages) and personal suffering and trauma (known as non-economic damages).
These compensatory awards can include money for:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Long-term care and treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Nursing care
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Embarrassment
- Scarring
- Mental anguish
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
You may also be entitled to an award of punitive damages if there’s sufficient evidence that the property owner’s actions were intentional or grossly negligent.
For instance, let’s say that a business was repeatedly held up at gunpoint, but the owner never did anything to beef up security. Then you visit, and the store is hit by a criminal assailant again, and you get caught in the middle of it. You could argue that the property owner was grossly negligent because they consciously disregarded your safety by not installing appropriate security.
Our Tampa negligent security attorneys will fight to make sure that your damages are identified and valued properly. We’ll bring in experts and specialists throughout the claims process, particularly when it’s time to fight to maximize your financial award.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Florida Negligent Security Lawsuits?
As a matter of premises liability, negligent security lawsuits are subject to a two-year statute of limitations in the state of Florida.
This gives you until the second anniversary of the date you were injured to file a lawsuit against a negligent business owner.
If negligent security contributed to the wrongful death of a family member in Tampa, you’ll have two years to seek compensation.
Exceptions may apply, but don’t let too much time pass by before reaching out to an attorney for help. You give up the opportunity to assert your rights once the statute of limitations expires.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Tampa Negligent Security Lawyer
Have you been assaulted, attacked, or otherwise victimized by a crime at a business in Tampa, Florida? Did inadequate security measures contribute to the incident? If so, the property owner or business could be legally responsible for the injuries and suffering you’ve endured.
Call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, and discover how our top-rated Tampa negligent security lawyers can help you work toward a meaningful financial recovery.
We have 119+ years of combined experience handling complex legal matters like yours, and we’re ready to stand up and fight for you. Call our Tampa, FL law office today to set up a time for a free consultation to get started.
