Featuring historic Art Deco architecture and warm ocean breezes, South Beach also offers upscale dining, designer shopping, and trendy cafes. The thriving club scene puts on a show every night, enticing locals and tourists alike to enjoy live music, dancing, drinks, and more. Despite the area’s commercial prosperity (or maybe because of it), criminal activity is pervasive.
Just ask Helen, Samantha, and Selene Rankin, three sisters who were beaten unconscious and robbed in a parking garage at 10th Street and Collins Avenue. Among them, the sisters suffered a back injury, a broken tooth, a fractured hand, a broken nose, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and dissociative identity disorder as a direct result of the trauma. No criminal charges could be filed because the group that attacked them got away. However, the sisters enlisted the services of personal injury attorneys at Stabinski and Funt, P.A. who were able to secure a verdict of $1.8 million upon proving that the managers of the garage were responsible for 95 percent of the negligence that caused the injuries. A sign in the garage warned that it was under video surveillance, but also revealed that the cameras were not continuously monitored. Furthermore, security cameras in the elevators were never connected. This disregard of customer safety occurred regardless of the fact that the garage had 31 separate incidents of crime in the 22 months before the attack.
After a week-long trial, the jury agreed that the previous criminal activities in the garage were sufficient to put the management company on notice that there was a safety issue and they should have had better security measures on the premises. The owner or manager of a business is responsible for the safety of any person lawfully on the property and any events that occur there. Property owners have a legal duty to provide adequate security to protect their visitors from predictable criminal activity. When property owners breach their duty of care and fail to avoid foreseeable security lapses, innocent people can become victims of preventable crimes, including robberies and assaults. Putting proper procedures in place deters crime.
Holding negligent property owners liable for inadequate security that results in physical injury, psychological distress, or even death requires skilled representation. While we cannot guarantee the outcome of any case, the South Florida negligent security attorneys of Stabinski Law have helped many people sort out their legal rights, responsibilities, and remedies. For 45 years, we have been the trusted advocates for countless personal injury victims and their families. We also work on a contingency basis, which means that if there is no recovery, there is no fee or cost to you. If you wish to learn more about how our firm can be of assistance to you, we encourage you to contact us for a free consultation by calling 305-643-3100 or filling out a case evaluation form.