The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels has obtained a $1.6 million settlement in a confidential wrongful death negligent security case.
The decedent was a talented and good-natured 19-year-old who enjoyed an exceptionally close relationship with his mother. Michaels says this case was a peculiar, difficult, and incredibly tragic case. “What made this case uniquely challenging is that the victim was shot accidentally by a childhood friend.”
The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels and Michael Haggard have earned a $1 Million policy limit settlement in wrongful death negligent security case of 30-year-old Omarie Stephens was shot and killed at the Lauderhill Mall on Easter Day of 2018.
After spending Easter morning with his family, he went to a car show in a park with his brother and friends. After the show, he went to a restaurant located in Lauderhill Mall to eat. When Omarie and his group arrived at the mall there was a large party going on in the parking lot. The car show had relocated to the mall, which was closed (except for a few tenants including the restaurant).
Video surveillance showed thousands of cars and people in the mall parking lot. Evidence also showed that people were drinking alcohol and doing drugs. The mall’s parking lot had basically turned into an open-air unsupervised night club.
Screen Shot from security video of the Lauderhill Mall Parking lot the night Mr. Stephens was shot and killed
The Mall had retained State Security to provide security. After the mall closed (other than the few late-night tenants) security was supposed to perform constant patrols in the lot and remove trespassers immediately. The evidence clearly showed that over a period of hours, revelers descended on the property, and security was nowhere to be found. They made no attempt to remove people from the property or to contact the police as they were ordered.
In a deposition, the security guard claimed that he encountered a police officer on the property and asked him for help as justification for why he decided not to call police. Police records and the surveillance video disapprove this. After being confronted with the evidence, the security guard admitted he had not come to the front of the mall during the three hour period that people were gathering at the property.
During the gathering, two men got into a fight leading to gunshots. Mr. Stevens, and innocent bystander, was shot and killed. Stephens survived by two minor daughters.
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla – Following a four-day trial, that included only two hours of deliberation, a Broward County jury has awarded $24.5 million to the family of a mother of four children who died due to avoidable complications during childbirth caused by a condition the medical team was aware of before the surgery.
Litigation and trial team including Haggard Law’s Todd Michaels on the left standing with Rodolfo Torres to his right.
On July 21, 2015 Lilia Torres arrived at Premiere Perinatal Associates for a scheduled C-section which was delayed until the 22nd. During the procedure, she suffered massive blood loss due to a condition, placenta previa, which had been diagnosed months earlier and was managed throughout the pregnancy. A hysterectomy was performed due to the massive blood loss.
The baby was delivered on July 22, but Lilia went into cardiac and pulmonary shock with severe hypoxia due to the blood loss. She was placed on a vent and began receiving blood cells and plasma. She returned to the operating room for exploratory surgery and passed away on July 22nd, 2015 resulting from the hemorrhagic shock and multi-organ failure.
Lilia Torres
She left behind her husband Rodolfo and four minor children, three girls and one boy. Lilia was the caretaker of her entire family.
The defendants in the case included: Adolfo Gonzalez-Garcia, M.D., Jerry Gilles, M.D., Jorge Gallo, M.D., Julio Coello, M.D., Kei Nakanishi, M.D., Phoenix Obstetrics Gynecology, Llc, Emcare, Inc., Premiere Perinatal Associates, P.A. and Envision Healthcare Corporation.
$2 Million Settlement in Negligent Security Case Involving Apartment Complex that Didn’t Remove Problem Resident Before He Stabbed Plaintiff 12 Times
Pompano Beach, FL – Patricia Norris never knew the danger she entered when she moved to the Palm Aire Gardens Apartments in late 2016. For nearly ten months the manager of the complex had received complaints from multiple young female residents that a resident named Charles Gipson was threatening, harassing, and stalking them. One resident even took out a restraining order against him. Despite the warnings, neither the Palm Aire Gardens Condominium Association nor property managers (First Service Residential Florida) took any steps to keep residents safe from Gipson.
Congratulations to Haggard Law Firm trial lawyer Todd Michaels for being named a Fellow of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. The Florida Justice Association’s Fellows program recognizes individual accomplishments as a trial lawyer and contributions to the mission of the FJA. Michaels was voted into the exclusive and distinguished program by his peers.
To qualify, members of the Fellows program must be past presidents of the Florida Justice Association, a current voting member,a board member for at least 5 years, a recipient of the Crystal EAGLE Award, and an Eagle Patron.
About Florida Justice Association
The Florida Justice Association (FJA), formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers.
FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.
Todd Michaels Esq, a lifelong Miami-Dade resident, joined The Haggard Law Firm in 2009. In May 2014, he was named partner at the firm. Todd handles a wide array of the firm’s cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury, representing clients who were injured through the negligence of others. His practice primarily involves negligent security throughout the State of Florida and nationwide. Todd has been a frequent speaker on various aspects of negligent security law to different Legal and Security industry groups throughout the country, and has had articles relating to negligent security cases published. Click to read full bio
VIDEO
Michaels discusses how trial lawyers must always be focused on trial, not a settlement.
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a law limiting pain-and-suffering damages in medical malpractice cases is unconstitutional, rejecting a controversial change that the Legislature and then-Gov. Jeb Bush approved in 2003.
Justices were divided, with the four-member majority finding that the caps on “non-economic” damages violated equal-protection rights.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels reacted to the decision by saying “the Supreme Court decision was an important victory for justice and for Florida’s citizens. For too long, doctors and medical professionals received special protections which allowed them to avoid responsibility for their errors.”
The Florida Justice Association’s Annual Convention and Expo will begin on June 14. The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels will be a guest speaker at this year’s Convention in St Pete Beach.
Michaels says ” It is an honor to speak at the FJA convention. There is no organization that does more for consumers, citizens, and victims in the State of Florida. The annual convention is a place to meet with great lawyers from around the state, and more importantly, to learn and share knowledge.”
Earlier today, NBC South Florida visited The Haggard Law Firm to speak with the family members of Danny Fundora who was killed in early 2013. The person or people who took his life have not been caught. We hope the upcoming story by NBC will draw new attention to the murder case. The Haggard Law Firm represents the Fundora family in a negligent security lawsuit against the supermarket where Danny was killed. The business did not take the security measures needed to stop the horrible incident.
Our Todd Michaels commented on the case and search for Fundora’s killer today:
The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels will be the featured Guest Speaker for the upcoming Broward County Trial Lawyers Association scheduled for Tuesday, April 4th. Michaels’ topic of discussion “Trying Negligent Security Cases in Florida”.
