In addition to addressing overtly hazardous conditions like loose floor tiles and leaking water pipes, property owners in Florida also hold some degree of liability for injuries suffered by lawful visitors and tenants due to criminal activity. However, the duty landowners have in this regard is not as straightforward as you might think, and it can take a significant amount of evidence and legal knowhow to successfully hold one liable for harm you sustained in this way.
Having help from Largo injury attorneys who has achieved positive results from similar cases before can be vital to getting fair financial restitution through this kind of settlement demand or lawsuit. With a Largo negligent security lawyer from Distasio Law Firm by your side, you could have the expertise and strategic support you may need throughout every stage of your legal proceedings.
What Constitutes “Negligent Security” in Largo?
To summarize Florida premises liability law in brief, property owners owe “ordinary care” to any person who visits or resides on their property in a way that benefits the owner—by shopping in a retail store, for example, or paying rent as a tenant in an apartment complex. In this context, “ordinary care” not only requires the landowner to provide advance warning of all hazards they know about and inspect their property regularly to discover new hazards, but also to take reasonable precautions to prevent visitors from being injured by hazardous conditions, including “foreseeable” criminal activity.
What counts as a “foreseeable” crime can vary somewhat in different situations. However, it generally means one that a reasonable owner could have known was possible based on evidence like recent crimes of the same nature in the area or on the property, what type of property they own, and even what time of day it is.
For instance, a property owner may be considered liable for a robbery that happened in an apartment parking lot late at night if the owner did not ensure the lot was properly lit to deter criminals. As an experienced Largo negligent security attorney like Scott Distasio could affirm, other examples of landowner negligence along these lines could include:
- Failure to install functional locks
- Lack of fencing
- Non-functioning or missing security cameras
- Failure to hire security personnel
Recovering for Specific Crime-Related Losses
It is possible to recover for various forms of harm through a successful negligent security claim beyond the value of lost, stolen, or damaged personal property. Any bills for medical treatment made necessary by injuries sustained during a criminal act could be compensable through a lawsuit or settlement demand, as could:
- Missed work income
- Physical pain
- Psychological trauma and distress
- Various long-term effects of permanent disfigurement or disability
As per Florida Statutes §95.11(3), though, most prospective plaintiffs have two years maximum after suffering an injury due to negligent security to file suit. Any civil litigation pursued against a landowner who failed to prevent criminal activity would proceed separately from any criminal proceedings against the person who committed the crime in question. A knowledgeable negligent security lawyer in Largo could explain the state’s laws and litigation processes in more detail during an initial meeting.
Consider Working with a Largo Negligent Security Attorney
For various reasons, holding a property owner legally liable for someone else’s criminal act on their land can be a particularly complicated process. Even if it seems obvious that a landowner was deficient in protecting lawful visitors and/or tenants, proving that they were and directly connecting that negligence to a specific injury in court can be difficult without professional legal guidance.
Fortunately, a dedicated Largo negligent security lawyer from Distasio Law Firm is available to provide the assistance you need to achieve a positive case result. Call today to schedule your consultation.
