Broward County stretches from Fort Lauderdale's hotel and entertainment corridor on the coast to the inland communities of Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Margate, and Pompano Beach. The county's diverse mix of hotels, apartment complexes, shopping centers, nightclubs, and commercial properties creates a wide range of environments where negligent security can lead to violent crime.

When a property owner or manager fails to provide adequate security — and a guest, tenant, or visitor is shot, robbed, or assaulted as a result — Florida's negligent security law provides a path to compensation. At Juan Cordero Lawyers, we represent Broward County victims of violent crime in negligent security cases against hotels, apartment complexes, shopping centers, nightclubs, and other property owners.

Negligent security is a form of premises liability. Under Florida law, property owners and managers owe a duty of reasonable care to people who enter their property. When the property is located in an area with a known history of criminal activity, that duty includes taking reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable criminal acts.

Foreseeability is the central concept in negligent security law. A property owner is not an insurer against all crime. But when prior incidents of crime on or near the property put the owner on notice that violent crime is a foreseeable risk, the owner has a duty to take reasonable security measures. Failure to do so — and a subsequent violent crime that causes injury or death — gives rise to a negligent security claim.

Dark parking lots, stairwells, and common areas are among the most common security failures in Broward County negligent security cases. Inadequate lighting creates concealment opportunities for criminals and reduces the deterrent effect of security measures.

Hotels, nightclubs, apartment complexes, and shopping centers in high-crime areas of Broward County often require security guards to meet the standard of reasonable care. The absence of security personnel — or the presence of untrained, unarmed, or inadequately supervised guards — can constitute negligent security.

Broken door locks, malfunctioning key card systems, propped-open security doors, and broken perimeter fencing allow unauthorized individuals to access areas where guests, tenants, and visitors have a reasonable expectation of safety.

Security cameras serve both a deterrent function and an investigative function. In high-crime areas, the absence of functioning surveillance cameras — or the failure to maintain and monitor existing cameras — can constitute negligent security.

The Fort Lauderdale Beach hotel corridor — Las Olas Boulevard, A1A, and the surrounding streets — is one of the highest-density hospitality environments in South Florida. Hotels in this area have a heightened duty to provide adequate security, including trained security personnel, functioning surveillance systems, and controlled access to restricted areas.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is one of the largest entertainment complexes in Florida. As a tribal enterprise operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Hard Rock presents unique legal challenges in negligent security cases. The Seminole Tribe's sovereign immunity — distinct from Florida's state sovereign immunity — may limit or bar civil claims against the tribe and its enterprises. An experienced negligent security attorney can evaluate whether tribal immunity applies and what avenues for recovery exist.

Apartment complexes in Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Pompano Beach, and other Broward communities with elevated crime rates have a heightened duty to provide adequate security for their tenants. Common failures include broken perimeter fencing, malfunctioning entry systems, inadequate lighting, and absence of security personnel.

Shopping centers and retail properties throughout Broward County — including Broward Mall, Sawgrass Mills, and community shopping centers — are frequent sites of robberies and assaults in parking lots and common areas. Property owners who are aware of prior criminal incidents have a duty to take reasonable security measures.

Gas stations and convenience stores in high-crime areas of Broward County are frequent sites of robberies and assaults. The Pompano Beach Citgo shooting — a high-profile negligent security case — illustrates the liability exposure for gas station owners who fail to provide adequate security in areas with known crime histories.

Florida courts have recognized Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles as relevant to the standard of care in negligent security cases. CPTED evaluates whether the property's design — lighting, sight lines, fencing, landscaping, signage — deterred or facilitated the criminal act. Expert witnesses in negligent security cases often evaluate CPTED compliance as part of the liability analysis.

Under Florida law, a property owner's duty to provide security is triggered by foreseeability — whether the specific type of crime that occurred was foreseeable based on the prior criminal history of the property and the surrounding area. Evidence of prior similar incidents on the property is the most powerful evidence of foreseeability.

Florida's modified comparative fault rule (§768.81, Fla. Stat.), as amended by the 2023 tort reform (HB 837), bars recovery if the plaintiff is found to be more than 50% at fault. In negligent security cases, defendants often argue that the victim's own conduct contributed to the injury. An experienced negligent security attorney can counter these arguments with evidence of the property owner's superior knowledge of the crime risk.

Under the 2023 tort reform (HB 837), the general personal injury statute of limitations in Florida was reduced from four years to two years from the date of the incident. This applies to negligent security claims. Do not delay — contact an attorney as soon as possible after a violent crime injury.

When a violent crime results in death, Florida's Wrongful Death Act (§768.16–768.26, Fla. Stat.) provides a separate cause of action. Recoverable damages include the mental pain and suffering of surviving family members.

Recoverable damages in negligent security cases include:

• Medical expenses — emergency care, surgeries, hospitalization, rehabilitation
• Lost wages and earning capacity — income lost during recovery and future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering — physical pain and emotional distress
• Mental anguish and PTSD — the psychological impact of surviving a violent crime
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages — mental pain and suffering of surviving family members

Juan Cordero Lawyers represents Broward County victims of violent crime in negligent security cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win.

If you or a family member was shot, robbed, or assaulted at a Broward County hotel, apartment complex, nightclub, or other property, call 305-525-8957 for a free consultation.

• What Is Negligent Security in Florida?
• Florida Negligent Security Lawyer
• Pompano Beach Citgo Shooting — Negligent Security Case Study
• Florida Hotel and Motel Shooting Liability
• Florida Wrongful Death Law
• Our Verdicts and Settlements
• Florida Statutes of Limitations for Injury Claims

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