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Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

(305) 446-5700

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The Role Crime Statistics Play In a Negligent Security Case

 

by Jason Brenner, Associate at The Haggard Law Firm

Although each negligent security case may bring about different facts or require ingenuity with your strategy, there are certain elements of your case that remain constant.  One of those elements is crime statistics.  The importance of crime statistics in your case cannot be stated enough.  Not only do these statistics help establish notice and foreseeability to the defendants, they are also a treasure trove of information.

With respect to notice and foreseeability, your crime statistics establish what the defendants “knew or should have known” prior to and at the time of subject incident.  So what should you request?  You begin by requesting the calls for service and all police reports for the subject property.  This needs to be done in one request.  From there, depending on your jurisdiction, you will order up to a mile radius for the calls for service.  Once you receive each respective request, you must synthesize the data.  For example, you will detail the violent and non-violent crimes and their frequency on the property.  This provides a picture of what type of crime was going on at the property.  It provides you with the ability to illustrate to the jury the level of crime occurring and can be used effectively to show that it is an improbability for a defendant to be unaware of the police being called to the property.

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Cone Trial Advocacy Institute Includes Michaels as Faculty Member

The Haggard Law Firm‘s Todd Michaels will once again be among the faculty members of this year’s upcoming Al J Cone Trial Advocacy Institute. The Florida Justice Association seminar offers three full days of engaging presentations and interactive workshops designed to advance trial skills. Attendees go through the entire trial process from the defense and plaintiff perspective using a case fact pattern. The event will be held at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee Florida from August 3-5.

If you are interested in learning more…

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Haggard, Michaels Named to 2017 Legal Elite List

The Haggard Law Firm’s Michael Haggard and Todd Michaels have been named winners of Florida Trend’s 2017 Legal Elite Recognition. Both attorneys were given the honor in the Civil Trial category. The list of honorees represents fewer than 1.5% of the active Florida Bar members who practice in Florida.

Now in its 14th year, Florida Legal Elite presents a prestigious roster of attorneys chosen for recognition by their peers. The 1,080 lawyers listed here exemplify a standard of excellence in their profession and by so doing, have garnered the respect and esteem of their colleagues.
  
Voting for this year’s Legal Elite attorneys began in October 2016 when Florida Trend invited all in-state members of the Florida Bar to participate. Multiple announcements publicized the ballot deadline and voting guidelines.

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10 People Shot, 4 Killed in Jacksonville Over the Weekend

The Memorial Day Weekend was marred by violence in Jacksonville. 14 people were shot, 4 of those died in 9 separate incidents of violence during the 3-day span.

Several of the shootings occurred at apartment complexes in the area. Todd Michaels of The Haggard Law Firm, which represents several victims of previous violence at the Eureka Gardens Apartments (click for more details), says many of the weekend shootings are a result of irresponsible property ownership.

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Michael Haggard Featured Expert in Pool Gate/Toddler Drowning Tragedy Story

Michael Haggard, the Managing Partner of The Haggard Law Firm, was the featured expert in a recent story aired by WINK-TV (CBS station) which covers southwestern Florida. The story was a follow-up to the tragic drowning of a 1 and 3-year-old in an apartment complex pool that had no pool safety gate.

 

 

Haggard is on the National Drowning Prevention Board and has worked with former Secretary of State James Baker on VIRGINIA GRAEME BAKER POOL AND SPA SAFETY ACT which was a law passed in the United States Congress (in 2008) to set new pool pump safety standards. 

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Swim Safety: Broken Pool Gates

May is National Swim Safety Month. The Haggard Law Firm wants to take this opportunity to share swimming safety tips, including those we have unfortunately have become experts on because of catastrophic injury cases we have litigated over the years. One example is the 2001 case of Loren Hinton. A 2-year old that suffered a significant brain injury when she fell into a residential complex pool after pushing over a broken safety gate.

This video details that case and includes safety factors to consider to make sure a tragedy like this does not happen again.

Click for more on Haggard Law Firm Pool Drowning Accidents

Understand Survivors and the Catastrophically Injured

Today’s issue of the Daily Business Review includes a Board of Contributors article authored by The Haggard law Firm‘s Jason Brenner. The article, Understanding Your Client: Survivors and the Catastrophically Injured, discusses the challenges to successfully representing and emotionally supporting during the civil litigation process the tragically injured or loved ones of someone who has died.

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McCarron Article on Road Construction Cases

The Daily Business Review recently included an article authored by The Haggard Law Firm’s Douglas McCarron in its Board of Contributors series.  The article: Traffic Safety: Navigating The Road Construction Cases, discusses some of the biggest challenges in litigation a road construction case and best practices to reach a successful result.

To read full article:

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VIDEO: Negligent Security & Mass Shootings

 

Has the increased number of mass shootings and victims of these tragedies changed what should be considered adequate security for businesses and properties where large groups of people commonly gather?

Our Michael Haggard discusses the topic in our latest HLF TV installment.

 

Haggard Law Firm CLE Event

On Thursday, April 27TH, The Haggard Law Firm will host Winning Case Strategies in Premises LiabilityThe free seminar, for CLE Credit, will be held at the Hyatt in Coral Gables, Florida.

Please RSVP by contacting Susie Acosta at 305.446.5700 or emailing sacosta@haggardlawfirm.com by April 20th. There is limited space available.

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