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Tag: crime victim attorney

Statement on Parkland Mass Shooter Guilty Plea

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A statement on the guilty plea by the Parkland Mass Shooter

Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting brings some peace to the families, friends, and our community impacted by the tragedy on Valentine’s Day 2018. This killer, and any person or entity that contributed to this tragedy by inaction or negligence, should suffer the maximum consequences allowable by the law.

The Haggard Law Firm will continue to support our clients the Olivers, Beigel Schulmans, and Lippel families as they press forward with their lives and passionate advocacy efforts. The epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings must be stopped.

While today’s hearing focused on the shooter, the names that truly matter are those of the 17 killed and 17 injured on what was supposed to be a normal school day.”

  • Michael Haggard on behalf of the entire Haggard Law Firm

Pictured: (Left to Right) Haggard Law Trial Lawyers Todd Michael and Michael Haggard and the parents of 17 year old Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver and Patricia Oliver (picture from 2018).

$1 Million Pre-Suit Settlement in Gas Station Murder Case

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The Haggard Law Firm’s Michael Haggard and Adam Finkel have obtained a $1 Million pre-suit settlement in a negligent security wrongful death case against a gas station operator.

On July 15, 2020, just before midnight 20-year-old Zion Lamar was shot and killed at a Solo gas station in Pompano Beach. Zion lived nearby with his girlfriend and was sent to purchase snacks but never returned home.

Precisely what transpired is unknown as the owner of the gas station did not install functioning surveillance cameras, nor did the clerk respond to audible commotion occurring on the property. Although there is a cell phone video of Zion writhing on the ground, he died shortly thereafter and there is no known eyewitness testimony. It is believed that an altercation occurred outside involving several people, during which Zion was shot.

This settlement was reached after The Haggard Law Firm presented its position regarding the clear liability in this case and the damages associated with the death of a young man. While the defense could not contest the staggering history of daily drug dealing, public intoxication, and violence at the gas station, the defense contested the Plaintiff’s description of the damages in the case.

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Haggard Law Names New Partners

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The Haggard Law Firm is proud to announce that trial lawyers Jason Brenner and Pedro Echarte have been named partners.

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$2 Million Settlement in Child Sexual Assault Case

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Owners of a Key West apartment complex have agreed to pay $2 Million to the family of a minor who was sexually assaulted multiple times by a de facto employee.
The minor child victim was living with his family in a rental apartment in Key West. Over a period of several months, the child was subjected to multiple sexual assaults and batteries at the hands of the de facto property manager while on the premises. The abuse was discovered by the child’s mother, who promptly reported the matter to the police. The criminal offender died before the criminal case was completed and before the suit was filed in the civil matter.
The apartment complex denied that the offender was an employee of the owner, or that he had the level of access to the child’s apartment that the plaintiff claimed in this case. Haggard Law Firm attorneys Christopher Marlowe, Michael Haggard and co-counsel Chelsie M. Lamie represented the family of the victim. Their investigation revealed that the offender executed many of the duties of a property manager and received a discount on his rent from the owners for the work done.
Several witnesses indicated that the offender had acted inappropriately over the years, albeit not as severely as in this case. The offender was a convicted felon who had no record of convictions for any prior similar crime, but whose qualifications for the job were suspect on multiple levels.
The child victim was an extraordinarily brave and credible young person who wanted to send a message to other property owners to act responsibly so no other children are victimized.

 

 

 

Common Conditions that Give Rise to a Premises Liability Case

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On August 16th, 2018 The Haggard Law Firm will present Winning Case Strategies in Premises Liability, a FREE CLE Credit Seminar. The event will take place from 1 to 5pm at the Doubletree Jacksonville Riverfront. To RSVP for the seminar, email or call Stacy at slaffere@haggardlawfirm.com   305.446.5700 

This article about premises liability cases was authored by trial lawyer and Haggard Law partner Douglas McCarron who will be one of the presenters at the CLE Seminar

Common Conditions that Give Rise to a Premises Liability Case

by Douglas Mccarron

In my experience, the most common condition in any premises liability case is the lack of guardianship of the property.  In most instances, the property owner and/or manager fails to put in place policies and procedures that ensure that the premises is kept in a reasonably safe condition.  For example, in many negligent security cases it becomes obvious that the owner and management fail to do anything that assesses violent crime occurring at the property.  Without knowing what type of crime is happening, it is nearly impossible to know what type of security measures are needed.  How can the owner make decisions about access control, manned security, and surveillance cameras, if they have failed to gather the crime statistics for the property and the surrounding area?  The answer is simple, they do not know and consequently violent crime continues to victimize the property’s guests and invitees.  In slip and fall cases, many properties fail to ensure that their employees follow the internal policies and procedures to maintain the property in a safe manner.  This leads to dangerous conditions being left on the property for an unacceptable amount of time. 

If property owners simply prepare policies and procedures for their employees to follow and have appropriate supervision to ensure that the policies and procedures are being followed, then the most dangerous conditions would cease to exist.  Obviously, financial considerations come into play for the property owners.  In developing a premises liability case, it is important to discover exactly what property owners are failing to do and why they are failing to do it.  Jurors do not appreciate property owners turning a blind eye and pleading ignorance.  Jurors also do not accept that the owners do not want to put the necessary resources (money) into the property to make it safe.

 

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Navigating the Road Construction Case

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On August 16th, 2018 The Haggard Law Firm will present Winning Case Strategies in Premises Liability, FREE CLE Credit Seminar. The event will take place from 1 to 5pm at the Doubletree Jacksonville Riverfront. To RSVP for the seminar, email of call Stacy at slaffere@haggardlawfirm.com   305.446.5700 

Among the topics to be discussed, road construction cases. That portion of the seminar will be lead by Haggard Law Trial Lawyer Douglas McCarron, who wrote the following article on the topic which was originally published in the Daily Business Review.

Navigating The Road Construction Case

Article by, Douglas McCarron, The Haggard Law Firm.

In today’s day and age, road construction is everywhere. It causes frustration and traffic jams throughout South Florida. More importantly, the road construction causes confusion for motorists on how they are to traverse a construction zone.

When analyzing an auto case, it is extremely important to determine if road construction played a hand in the accident. Investigating and taking photographs and video of the scene is crucial. Road construction projects change on a daily basis, so it is imperative to get photographs/video of the scene as soon as practicable.

Depending on the severity of the accident and the injuries involved, the police may document the scene. Many times, even in smaller accidents, construction personnel take photographs or otherwise document the scene. Nevertheless, it is critical that no stone go unturned in trying to locate photographs and video of the accident site. Look for red-light cameras and business surveillance equipment in the area of an accident and make sure to send subpoenas or spoliation letters.

Generally, road construction projects are funded by either the state or county government. As such, the project plans and documentation are public records. Within the plans, you will find a plethora of information such as the identity of the general contractor, the subcontractors, the construction engineering and inspection firm and the daily progress reports. Most importantly, the documents will enable you to identify the entity that was responsible for the maintenance of traffic , or MOTs, for the project.

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$3 Million Negligent Security Case Result for Gunshot Victim

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Miami Dade County, FL – A gunshot victim who had his kidney, portions of his intestines removed and his colon perforated settles a negligent security lawsuit against northwest Miami apartment complex for $3 million.

 

On May 3rd, 2014, Dennis Gore and his friend worked together cleaning one of their clients’ business’. After work, Dennis and his friend played flag football and then went to Dennis’ mother’s apartment at Suncoast Apartments (999 NE 167th Street). Dennis would ask his friend to take him to Walgreen’s to get an ace bandage because of a sore knee.

The two of them went downstairs to Dennis’s friend’s car in the parking lot when Dennis realized that he left his wallet upstairs.  He told his friend to meet him around the other side off 10th avenue while Dennis went back upstairs to get his wallet.  After retrieving his wallet, he took the stairs to a door led directly into the parking lot when his friend to pick him up.

 

A man standing at the bottom of those stairs simply said “hey”, which made Dennis turn around. The man was brandishing a gun. Dennis attempted to evade the stranger but was met by a second man who tried to grab him. After breaking free and attempting to exit through a doorway, bullets began to fly.  He was shot 6 times. Dennis was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he went into emergency surgery.

Haggard Law Trial Attorney Jason Brenner – CONTACT BRENNER – JRB@haggadlawfirm.com 

Haggard Law Firm Trial attorney Jason Brenner and Douglas McCarron litigated the case. Brenner says while the apartment complex did have security in place, it was not sufficient considering the level of crime in the area. The claims made in the case were past and future medical expenses and past and future pain and suffering. “May 3rd was the beginning of a nightmare that Mr. Gore will never wake up from and it may have been prevented if this apartment complex had fully committed to providing the level of security needed to protect residents and guests.”

Haggard Law Trial Attorney Douglas McCarron – CONTACT MCCARRON – DJM@haggardlawfirm.com 

 

The Haggard Law Firm has an extensive history of litigating negligent security cases involving apartment complexes, hotels, motels, gas stations and other commercial businesses. Over the last ten years, Haggard Law Trial Attorneys have obtained more than $400 million in results for clients severely injured or the families of those killed due to a property owner or managers negligence.

CONTACT HAGGARD LAW FIRM 305.446.5700

VIDEO: What is the first step in a negligent security case??

 

 

 

Haggards Part of Legal Organization Supporting Assault Weapons Ban

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The International Academy of Trial Lawyers has announced it is supporting assault weapons. The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard and Senior Partner Andy Haggard are both members of this renowned legal organization. Michael is currently on the Board of Directors and Admissions Committee Board Member.

IATL is an international legal association both in spirit and membership. The Academy limits Fellowship to 500 active trial lawyers from the United States and includes over 150 Fellows from nearly 40 countries across the globe.

Fellowship in the Academy is by invitation only, and trial lawyers become Fellows only after an extremely rigorous vetting process, which includes both peer and judicial review. The Academy seeks out Fellows who have achieved a career of excellence as shown by their skills in trial, and as demonstrated by their integrity and professionalism. Members are often heavily involved in pro bono efforts and contribute generously of their time and resources to their local communities.

The organization sent out the following news release on the day of the March for our Lives protests around the country:

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janel Fick, Executive Director
info@iatl.net

Elite legal organization backs assault weapon ban, student protests

Austin, Texas, March 24, 2018 –  The International Academy of Trial Lawyers this week adopted a resolution supporting an assault weapons ban and endorsing protests aimed at ending gun violence in communities and schools.

The Academy’s board unanimously approved the resolution March 21, citing its interest in maintaining a civil society. The resolution said:

We, as an Academy, believe all assault weapons and high capacity magazines should be banned. The Academy also gives its undisputed support for the protests going on around the United States, including the March for Our Lives events, which demand that safety become a priority and that we end gun violence in our schools and communities.

The Academy, chartered in 1954, is an organization of elite lawyers nominated and selected based on their demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials and other court proceedings. The organization promotes professional excellence, legal reforms, and integrity in the legal profession.

 

Result: $1.5 Million Settlement in Slip and Fall Wrongful Death Case

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We are very proud to share that our Todd Michaels has secured a $1.5 Million dollar settlement in the slip and fall wrongful death case of Qurris Walker (pictured).

In August 2011, Walker, who suffered from Down’s Syndrome, slipped and fell on a wet floor at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando. At the time of the incident, the floor was being cleaned by Rosen’s Cleaning service, Majic Cleaning Systems. As a result of the fall, Mr. Walker needed surgery to repair his leg and suffered respiratory arrest during recovery from the surgery. Nearly two years after the fall, Walker, who suffered from numerous pre-existing health issues, passed away. Both liability and causation were highly contested.

The defense argued that Majic had put down five cones in the lobby, adequately warning visitors that the floor was wet and that Mr. Walker’s death was a result of his other health issues, and was unrelated to the fall. Our thanks to the inspirational and brave Walker family for their passion to seek justice.

 

VIDEO: Why Do You Enjoy Picking a Jury

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Haggard Law Firm partner and trial attorney Christopher Marlowe says one of the elements of a civil trial that he looks forward to the most…is picking a jury.

 

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The Haggard Law Firm, P.A. represents the rights of people seriously injured or killed through the fault of others. We are passionately committed to our clients and stress the highest level of personal service, professionalism and case preparation.

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