Inadequate Building or Apartment Security
Tenants and guests should feel safe when entering an apartment building, condominium, or commercial property. Unfortunately, inadequate or negligent security is a common problem in Florida. When owners and managers fail to maintain safe premises, people can become victims of robbery, assault, or worse. These crimes are often preventable, and property owners may be held legally responsible for failing to provide the protection that the law requires.
At Ligori & Ligori Injury Attorneys, we fight for victims of negligent security across Florida. Our attorneys are AV Preeminent Rated, recognized in Best Lawyers, and members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. These honors reflect our dedication to client advocacy, professional excellence, and results in high-stakes personal injury cases. With decades of combined legal experience, we understand how to prove negligent security claims and hold owners accountable when their failures lead to devastating consequences.
How Security Failures Put People at Risk
Inadequate security can take many forms. Sometimes, security systems exist but are poorly maintained. In other cases, landlords cut corners or ignore prior warnings. Some of the most common issues include:
- Broken or missing locks on doors, gates, and windows
- Malfunctioning surveillance cameras or no cameras at all
- Poor lighting in hallways, stairwells, elevators, parking garages, or outdoor lots
- Non-existent or untrained security personnel in high-risk buildings
- Failure to fix reported hazards such as damaged gates or fences
- Ignoring prior criminal activity in or near the property
- Landscaping or obstructions that create hiding spots for attackers
- Lack of access control such as key cards, coded entry, or intercom systems
When property managers neglect these responsibilities, they create an environment where crime becomes foreseeable and preventable injuries occur.
The Legal Foundation: Negligent Security in Florida
Under Florida law, property owners and managers have a duty to maintain reasonably safe premises for lawful visitors. This includes providing basic security measures to deter criminal activity. When an assault or robbery happens because of security failures, victims may pursue a negligent security claim, which is a type of premises liability.
To succeed, a victim generally must prove:
- Duty of Care: The property owner had a responsibility to provide a reasonably safe environment.
- Foreseeability: The risk of crime was reasonably predictable, based on prior incidents, crime rates, or known hazards.
- Breach of Duty: Security measures were inadequate or neglected.
- Causation: The lack of security substantially contributed to the victim’s harm.
- Damages: The victim suffered measurable losses, including medical bills, lost wages, and emotional suffering.
Florida courts evaluate “reasonable security” on a case-by-case basis. For example, an upscale apartment complex in an urban area with prior assaults may be expected to provide more robust security—such as cameras, secure gates, and guards—than a small suburban property.
Foreseeability: A Key Issue
Foreseeability often determines whether a negligent security case is successful. If similar crimes occurred in or around the property before, or if tenants complained about safety concerns, property owners should have taken steps to prevent future incidents. A history of crime, broken safety systems, or repeated tenant reports often strengthen a victim’s claim.
Common Injuries and Losses in Security Failure Cases
Victims of crimes caused by inadequate building or apartment security may experience severe, long-lasting harm. Common examples include:
- Physical injuries: fractures, head trauma, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, or internal injuries
- Sexual assault trauma: emotional and psychological scars, need for counseling and therapy
- Emotional trauma: anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and fear of living alone
- Economic losses: lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, relocation expenses, and therapy costs
- Medical bills: emergency care, surgery, long-term rehabilitation, and medications
- Loss of property: robbery or theft of valuables in addition to personal injury damages
These injuries often change the course of a victim’s life. Our role is to ensure those damages are fully recognized and compensated.
Defenses Raised by Property Owners
Property owners and their insurers frequently attempt to avoid responsibility in negligent security cases. Common defenses include:
- Arguing that the crime was unforeseeable or a “random act”
- Claiming that the victim was trespassing or not lawfully on the premises
- Alleging that the victim assumed the risk or ignored warnings
- Blaming third parties or criminal acts rather than acknowledging their own failures
- Pointing to partial security measures, even if they were clearly inadequate
An experienced attorney knows how to counter these defenses through thorough investigation, witness testimony, and expert analysis of what reasonable security should have included.
Steps to Take After an Incident
If you are the victim of a crime in a building or apartment with poor security, your immediate steps can make a difference in your legal claim:
- Report the incident to police right away and obtain a copy of the report
- Seek medical care and document all injuries
- Photograph broken locks, dark areas, broken gates, or other security failures
- Get contact information from witnesses or neighbors who can support your claim
- Ask the property owner or manager to preserve surveillance video or access logs
- Keep copies of all medical bills, therapy notes, and employment records showing missed work
- Contact a Florida negligent security attorney quickly before evidence disappears
How Ligori & Ligori Builds Negligent Security Claims
At Ligori & Ligori Injury Attorneys, we understand how complex these cases can be. Our approach includes:
- Free case evaluation to assess the facts of your claim
- Site inspections of the property, lighting, locks, gates, and surveillance systems
- Gathering of police reports, tenant complaints, and crime statistics in the area
- Collaboration with security experts to show what reasonable precautions should have been taken
- Identification of all liable parties, including property owners, landlords, management companies, or security contractors
- Aggressive negotiation with insurance carriers to seek fair settlements
- Courtroom representation when settlement offers fall short of justice
We represent victims on a contingency basis—meaning you owe nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Yes. If the crime was foreseeable and could have been prevented with reasonable security, you may have a claim.
- Locks, cameras, adequate lighting, controlled access, and security staff when crime risks are high are often considered reasonable precautions.
- You may recover medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, relocation costs, and damages for permanent injuries.
- No. We handle these cases on contingency, which means you pay nothing unless we obtain compensation for you.
- Most personal injury cases must be filed within two years, but acting quickly helps preserve evidence and strengthens your claim.
Speak With a Florida Inadequate Security Lawyer
If you or someone you love has been injured because of inadequate building or apartment security, you should not face the aftermath alone. Ligori & Ligori Injury Attorneys is here to help. With our credentials, experience, and dedication, we will investigate the failures that led to your harm and pursue full compensation from negligent owners or managers.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We will listen to your story, explain your legal rights, and fight for the justice you deserve.