Home›West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyer›West Palm Beach Negligent Security Lawyer
Last reviewed: October 2026
West Palm Beach Negligent Security Lawyer
You were assaulted, robbed, or shot on someone's property — and the crime wasn't random to the property owner. The broken gate, the dark garage, the cameras that didn't work, the incident history they ignored: Florida law can make the property answer for the crime it enabled. Shiner Law Group builds these cases, with no fee unless we win.
On This Page
Attacked on Someone's Property in West Palm Beach? The Owner May Owe You
Negligent security is premises liability's hardest-hitting form: when a crime against you was foreseeable to the property owner — because of prior incidents at or around the property — and the owner failed to take reasonable security measures, the owner shares legal responsibility for your injuries. Apartment complexes with broken gates and burned-out lighting, hotels and motels, bars and nightlife venues, parking garages, gas stations, and shopping centers are the recurring defendants.
Two realities drive these cases. First, the criminal is rarely worth suing — often unidentified or judgment-proof — so the property's commercial insurance is the practical path to recovery. Second, Florida reshaped this field: § 768.0706 gives multifamily properties a presumption against liability if they implemented specific security measures — cameras, lighting, locks, gates, and assessments — which means modern cases turn on proving exactly what the property lacked. That's an evidence fight: incident logs, 911 call histories, maintenance records, and security contracts, all reachable in discovery.
Shiner Law Group treats crime victims' civil cases with the seriousness they deserve — building the foreseeability record while preserving the scene evidence that disappears fastest. You pay nothing unless we win.
Why Crime Victims Choose Shiner
Injured on Their Property? Their Video Is Being Overwritten Right Now.
Evidence disappears quickly — camera footage is overwritten, records are gathered by the defense, and witnesses move on. Call now for a free case review, available 24/7.
What to Do After an Attack on Someone’s Property — Step by Step
The steps you take in the first hours and days can make or break your claim.
Make the Police Report
The criminal report anchors the civil case - and 911 records from the property become foreseeability evidence.
Get Medical Care and Document
Injuries from assaults are physical and psychological - both belong in the record from day one.
Photograph the Security Reality
The lighting, the broken gate, the camera positions, the propped door - conditions get fixed quietly after incidents.
Note Witnesses and Staff
Who was working, who saw it, who complained before - names fade fastest.
Don't Deal With the Property Alone
No statements to the property's insurer, no quick releases. They are measuring their exposure, not your recovery.
Call Shiner Law Group
(561) 368-3363. We preserve surveillance, demand incident histories, and build the foreseeability case. Free, confidential consultation, 24/7.
Florida Negligent Security Law: How Property Owners Answer for Crime
The owner's duty depends on why you were there — and what they knew.
The Duty to Protect Invitees
Businesses and landlords owe lawful visitors reasonable protection from foreseeable criminal acts — measured by prior incidents at and around the property and the measures a reasonable owner would have taken.
§ 768.0706: The New Battlefield
Multifamily owners who implemented statutory security measures earn a presumption against liability — so the case is won by proving what the property lacked: the dead camera, the propped gate, the assessment never done.
Comparative Fault & the Criminal
Defendants try to shift blame to the criminal and even the victim. Florida's 50% bar (§ 768.81) applies — and building the foreseeability record is how we keep responsibility where it belongs: on the owner who enabled the crime.
Negligent Security, By the Rules That Decide It
Assault injuries account for well over a million U.S. emergency department visits each year, per CDC injury data — and Florida law decides which of those crimes a property must answer for.
A Million+ ER Visits
Assault injuries send well over a million Americans to emergency departments each year — and a meaningful share happen on commercial and residential properties.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) injury surveillance data
The § 768.0706 Presumption
Multifamily properties that implemented specific security measures — cameras, lighting, locks, gates, assessments — earn a presumption against liability. Cases now turn on what the property lacked.
Source: Fla. Stat. § 768.0706 (Florida Statutes)
Two Years to File
Negligent security claims run on Florida's two-year negligence clock — while the scene evidence that proves them disappears in days.
Source: Fla. Stat. § 95.11 (Florida Statutes)
Where Negligent Security Claims Arise in West Palm Beach
The fact patterns repeat because the failures repeat.
Whatever the property, the first questions are the same: what happened there before, and what security actually existed that night?
Apartment Complexes
Broken gates, failed lighting, and ignored incident histories - the classic cases
Hotels & Motels
Key control, floor access, and guest-safety failures
Bars & Nightlife Venues
Understaffed security and violence the venue saw coming
Parking Lots & Garages
Darkness, dead cameras, and no patrols between you and your car
Gas Stations & Convenience Stores
Late-night exposure at properties with known histories
Shopping Centers & ATMs
Common areas where landlords control the security budget
Negligent Security Injuries We Represent
- Gunshot and stab wounds
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal and back injuries
- Knee and shoulder tears
- Injuries from assaults (negligent security)
- Sexual assault injuries
- PTSD and psychological trauma
- Wrongful death
What Can You Recover?
Medical Expenses
Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medication, and future medical needs
Lost Wages
Income lost during recovery plus reduced future earning capacity
Pain & Suffering
Physical pain and emotional distress — the human cost of the injury
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
The activities, hobbies, and independence your injuries take away
Wrongful Death Damages
Lost support, companionship, and mental pain and suffering for surviving families
Punitive Damages
Available for gross negligence — and easier to plead after Florida's 2026 Perlmutter decision
How Property Owners Fight These Claims
The defense playbook is predictable — and beatable.
Quick, Low Offers
An early check before the full extent of your injuries and future care is known
Recorded Statements
Friendly calls that lock in your account and look for words to use against you
Shifting Blame
Arguments that you share fault - under Florida’s 50% rule, every point matters
Gaps in Treatment
Missed or delayed appointments recast as proof you were not really hurt
Delay
Slow responses and repeated document requests while bills and pressure build
Disputed Causation
Claims that your injuries came from something other than this accident
Social Media Review
Photos and posts taken out of context to minimize your injuries
Broad Releases
Settlement papers that end every claim - sign nothing before a lawyer reviews it
The most important thing to know: the defense starts building its case before you have spoken to an attorney. Shiner Law Group levels this from day one. Call (561) 368-3363 before giving anyone a statement.
Shiner Law Group — $500M+ Recovered for Injured Floridians
That figure is the aggregate of recoveries across our Florida practice since 2002. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes — what matters is how your case is investigated, valued, and pressed.
across Florida
since our founding
4.9-star average
Why Injured Floridians Choose Shiner Law Group
Real Case Valuation
We calculate all damages — current and future, economic and non-economic — not just the obvious bills. No element of your claim is left on the table.
Leverage That Works
We counter delay tactics and lowball offers with evidence, expert analysis, and the credible threat of trial.
Statewide Presence
Offices across Florida — Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Wellington & Orlando — with home and hospital visits anywhere in the state.
No Win, No Fee
Zero upfront cost, no retainer, no consultation fee. Our fee comes from the recovery, so our incentive matches yours.
David Shiner has represented injury victims throughout Florida since 2002, and his firm has recovered more than $500 million for injured clients and their families. Every case is handled on a strict No Win, No Fee basis. Call (561) 368-3363 for a free, confidential consultation.
Our West Palm Beach Office — Serving All of Palm Beach County
Our West Palm Beach office is just east of I-95 on Belvedere Road — minutes from the airport, the county courthouse, and downtown — and home and hospital visits are available throughout Palm Beach County. Call (561) 368-3363, available 24/7.
After an Injury in West Palm Beach: Where to Turn
The practical questions come first — where the seriously injured are treated, where your report lives, and where your case will actually be decided. Local answers:
St. Mary's Medical Center
Home to the area's Level I trauma center and the Palm Beach Children's Hospital, on 45th Street — where the county's most serious injuries are taken. If your injuries are severe, this is likely where treatment starts, and where the records that anchor your case begin.
Good Samaritan Medical Center
The downtown hospital on Flagler Drive at the waterfront — minutes from Clematis Street, Rosemary Square, and the island. Emergency care close to where downtown injuries happen.
Palm Beach County Courthouse
County injury lawsuits are filed and tried at the main courthouse on N. Dixie Highway in downtown West Palm Beach — minutes from our Belvedere Road office. Your case stays local, before local judges and juries.
Incident & Police Reports
If you're able, ask that an incident report be made before you leave the property — and if police responded, a report exists. We obtain incident reports, 911 records, and police files as part of every case — at no cost to you.
West Palm Beach Negligent Security Questions Answered
The person who attacked me was arrested. Why would I sue the property?+
How do you prove a crime was foreseeable to the owner?+
What is Florida Statute 768.0706 and how does it affect my case?+
I was attacked in a parking garage. Who is responsible?+
How long do I have to bring a negligent security claim?+
What does a negligent security lawyer cost?+
Submit a FREE Case Review
Tell us what happened. We will evaluate your claim and explain your options. Confidential, no obligation, available 24/7.
Submit Your Details
Tell us what happened, where it occurred, and your injuries.
Case Evaluation
Our attorneys review your case and identify all liable parties and coverage.
We Fight for You
We build your claim, handle the defense, and pursue maximum compensation.
Free Case Review
Confidential · No obligation · Available 24/7 · Se Habla Espanol
Attacked on Someone Else’s Property in West Palm Beach?
Maximum Compensation. Zero Upfront Cost. 24/7 Availability.
Shiner Law Group has recovered more than $500 million for injured Floridians and their families. No Win, No Fee. Free consultation available right now, anywhere in Florida.