Some of the hardest calls a law firm receives come from parents, spouses, and siblings whose loved one went out to a car and never came home. A parking lot shooting is sudden and senseless. For the family, it leaves behind grief, unanswered questions, and often financial hardship that arrives at the worst possible moment.
When the shooting happened in a lot or garage that lacked basic security, the family may be able to hold the property accountable through a wrongful-death claim.
One family's verdict
The Haggard Law Firm represented the mother of a 16-year-old who was shot and killed in an apartment-complex parking lot. A jury returned a $3.9 million verdict for her. That figure is a gross amount, before fees and costs. No verdict can return a child to a parent. It can, however, recognize the loss, hold a property responsible for its choices, and send a message about the cost of ignoring safety.
Past results do not guarantee or predict the outcome of any other case. Each family's situation is evaluated on its own facts.
When the property may be responsible
Lots and garages tend to be remote, badly lit, and easy to reach and flee, which is why they are frequent sites of robberies and shootings. Those in control of such spaces have a legal duty to keep them reasonably safe.
A property may be liable for a death when the shooting was foreseeable, usually because of earlier crime there, and the owner failed to provide reasonable security. Families often learn after the fact that the lot had:
- Lights out on its levels, ramps, or stairwells
- Cameras that were missing or did not work
- No gates, attendants, or other access control
- No patrols, even though crime there was known
- Broken elevators or stairwell doors that left people trapped or exposed
Who the claim may be brought against
The responsible party is usually whoever owned or operated the lot and controlled its security. That could be a standalone garage operator or a business connected to the lot, such as an apartment complex, mall, hotel, or hospital. A property management company or a hired security contractor may also share responsibility. Families are not expected to know this on their own. Sorting it out is the lawyer's job.
What a wrongful-death claim addresses
A wrongful-death claim cannot measure a person's worth. It is meant to account for what the family has lost and the costs the death has caused. Depending on the state, that may include funeral and burial expenses, the financial support the person would have provided, and the loss of companionship and guidance. If the person survived for a time after the shooting, medical expenses from that period may also be part of the claim.
Who may bring the claim, what damages are available, and how long the family has to file all vary from state to state. A lawyer can explain the rules that apply where the shooting happened.
Families sometimes worry that a lawsuit means reliving the worst day of their lives in public. A lawyer can handle most of the investigation and communication with the property's insurers, limiting how often relatives need to be involved. Many cases resolve without a trial, though some do go before a jury.
Why families should not wait too long
Grief does not run on a schedule, and no family should feel rushed. Still, evidence in parking area cases disappears quickly. Garage video may be recorded over within days. Lights and doors are often repaired after a fatal incident. Records of prior crimes may be hard to obtain later. A lawyer can take over the work of preserving that evidence so the family can focus on each other.
Help beyond the lawsuit
A civil case is only part of what a grieving family needs. Victim advocates, often based in the prosecutor's office, can explain the criminal process and connect relatives with counseling. Most states also have crime victim compensation programs that may help with funeral expenses or grief therapy, independent of any lawsuit. Pursuing a wrongful-death claim does not prevent a family from using these resources, and a good legal team can help coordinate them.
Questions families often ask
What if the shooter was never found? The claim is against the property for its security failures, so it does not depend on an arrest.
Will this cost us anything? No. The firm handles these cases on contingency, with no fee unless it wins.
What if our loved one was just passing through? A visitor, customer, or guest may still be owed reasonable security in the parking areas a business provides.
Talk with a firm that understands
The Haggard Law Firm has handled nearly 500 negligent-security cases and won the $102.7 million verdict, the largest negligent-security verdict in U.S. history. When your family is ready, call (305) 446-5700 for a free and confidential conversation or visit https://crimevictim.attorney/negligent-security/parking-lot-garage/.
Attorney advertising. This guide offers general information and is not legal advice; it does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Outcomes in past matters do not guarantee future results.
