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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.
On Thursday, April 27TH, The Haggard Law Firm will host Winning Case Strategies in Premises Liability. The 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.
The cornerstone of solidifying a negligent security case for a personal injury attorney is proving foreseeability of crime. Michael Haggard of the Haggard Law Firm discusses in this video.
By: Christopher Marlowe, The Haggard Law Firm
The background check. Examinations of our past seem so common in every corner of our lives, that on that rare occasion where we are not asked to verify our personal information or consent to an examination of it, the transaction seems either charmingly quaint or mildly suspicious. Our criminal history, finances, family relations, utilities, medical history, schooling or employment, to name a few, are routinely brought forth and scrutinized (or verified) as a necessary part of routine personal and business operations.
The ubiquity of the background check has fomented a public expectation that virtually every person we encounter has been screened for one thing or another. Certainly, the priest or teacher is screened for child or sexual related offenses. The Uber driver has been thoroughly vetted for traffic offenses. The apartment manager’s personal finances are in order, such that the proper handling of rents is not in jeopardy.
These expectations, however reasonable, are not subject to uniform regulation and even more rarely are they mandated by law. The inconsistent handling of sex offender regulations helps highlight our misperception of the efficacy and regularity of background checks. Society considers itself tough on sex offenders, and lawmakers fashion themselves as protectors of the children and those most vulnerable. Florida Statute 948.30 is a good example. If a sex crime victim was under the age of 18, the offender cannot work for pay “or as a volunteer at any place where children regularly congregate, including, but not limited to, schools, child care facilities, parks, playgrounds, pet stores, libraries, zoos, theme parks, and malls.”
Continue reading “Background Checks: Everywhere and Nowhere”
The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing partner Michael Haggard will be a panelist during the 2017 Florida’s Grand Bench & Bar Conference to be held on February 10th. Haggard will join three judges to discuss the topic titled Insights from the Jury II: A Discussion with Real Jurors which will be held from 2pm to 3pm. He is the only attorney on the panel that includes Hon. Eric Hendon, Hon. Rosa I. Rodriguez and Hon. Migna Sanchez – Llorens.
The conference will be held at the Coral Gables Country Club and will begin at 8am and includes more than 40 panel discussions.
Article By Pedro Echarte, The Haggard Law Firm
When handling personal injury/wrongful death cases resulting from fires, the importance of quickly notifying the property owner of the potential claim and gaining immediate access to the property to the perform a site inspection is imperative. While in other types of cases (e.g., drowning, automobile, aviation, medical malpractice, negligent security) the evidence required to prove your case is generally preserved, that is generally not the case when it comes to litigation stemming from fires because landowners (whether residential or commercial) generally want to promptly repair their premises after a fire in order to avoid a significant loss of income. Once the property is altered or repaired, it will be difficult to determine not only the cause of fire, but also what fire safety measures that property had at the time of the fire and whether they operated as intended.
In fire cases that we have handled, we have accomplished early notification to the potential defendant and coordination of a site inspection in one of two ways. Generally, we first attempt to reach the property owner directly, informing them of the potential claim and requesting access to the property. If we are unable to contact the property owner or if the property owner refuses to give us access to the property, we file the lawsuit along with an emergency motion seeking to enjoin the property owner from repairing the property and requesting access to the property for a site inspection.
In the last week, there have been a string of robberies at gas stations and parking lots of popular retailers in South Florida. A large percentage of the negligent security cases The Haggard Law Firm has litigated in the last decade have included violent incidents involving these types of businesses. Cases like Snell VS Family Food Saver II, CORP which occurred on the property of a gas station and Pilotos v. Ryta Food Corp which was a deadly shooting in the parking lot of a grocery store.
Following the most recent news, Haggard Law Attorney Todd Michaels said:
“Every business owner who holds themselves open to the public has a duty to assess the risk of crime occurring on their property, and to implement adequate security based on that risk. All too often, we have seen business owners fail to do so, and the result is both tragic and predictable. Unless business owners are doing their part, there is little that the police or individuals themselves can do to remain safe.”
FULL ARTICLE ABOUT Palm Beach County crime spree:
Continue reading “String of Gas Station, Retailer Parking Lot Robberies”
The South Florida Sun Sentinel has listed Michael Haggard’s election as the President- Elect of the National Crime Victim’s Bar Association.
This video is a review of three cases resolved by The Haggard Law Firm in 2016:
The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard will be a presenter during the 29th Annual Southern Trial Lawyers Association Conference next month.
Continue reading “Haggard STLA Presentation: Security is On Everyone’s Mind”
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.
