The Haggard Law Firm’s Michael Haggard and Adam Finkel secured a $6 Million settlement for Keyto Noid and his two children in a negligent security case. The Firm’s investigation into an apartment complex in Pensacola, Florida, revealed evidence of negligent (inadequate) security, ignored warnings, and ownership decisions that prioritized cost savings over resident safety.
When someone is shot or seriously injured in a criminal attack at an apartment complex, property owners and management companies may also face legal responsibility when negligent security contributes to a foreseeable criminal attack.
In this negligent security case involving The Moorings Apartments in Pensacola, Florida, attorneys Haggard and Finkel pursued accountability after investigating the conditions residents faced at the property. The case settlement included the property’s ownership and management.
The investigation revealed the importance of looking beyond the immediate criminal act to examine the property’s security practices, prior concerns, and decisions made by those responsible for protecting residents.
For crime victims and their families, this case illustrates why a thorough investigation may be essential after a shooting on private property. For attorneys handling personal injury and wrongful death matters, it demonstrates the value of investigating negligent security claims with experienced counsel.
What Is Negligent Security?
Negligent security is a type of premises liability claim that may arise when a property owner, operator, or other responsible party fails to take reasonable steps to protect people from foreseeable criminal activity, and that failure contributes to an injury or death.
Depending on the circumstances, negligent security cases may involve:
- Inadequate security personnel or patrols
- Broken, missing, or insufficient access controls
- Poorly maintained gates, locks, lighting, or surveillance systems
- Failure to respond appropriately to known criminal activity or security concerns
- Failure to address warnings about recurring violence or unsafe conditions
Not every crime that occurs on private property establishes a negligent security claim. Liability depends on the facts, including foreseeability, the property’s security measures, the applicable legal duties, and whether a failure to take reasonable precautions contributed to the injury.
For victims of shootings and other violent crimes, an investigation into these issues can reveal whether a property owner or management company may share legal responsibility.
The Noid Shooting: Investigating the Conditions Behind the Crime
In the case involving Keyto, the investigation led the attorneys to conclude that the complex lacked reasonable security measures and left residents dangerously vulnerable to criminal attacks.
A central part of the case was understanding what life at the property was like. Rather than relying solely on the circumstances of the shooting, the legal team connected with current and former residents, former employees, and local law enforcement to develop a fuller picture of the property’s history and security concerns.
That community-based investigation helped establish evidence about conditions at the complex, what people knew about the risks, and whether those responsible for the property took appropriate action.
How Witness Testimony Helped Establish the Security Failures
A significant element of the case was testimony from people who had firsthand knowledge of the apartment complex.
Former residents and employees helped describe the conditions at The Moorings. Particularly important were former employees who testified about requesting increased security measures and expressing concerns that criminal activity would continue unless ownership acted.
According to the evidence gathered by The Haggard Law Firm team, these warnings stood in contrast to ownership’s focus on saving money rather than implementing additional security measures.
This testimony helped the Haggard Law present a broader picture of the property’s security problems and the decisions made in response to them.
Why does this matter in a negligent security case?
This evidence is critical in a negligent security case because evidence of prior incidents, warnings, complaints, and internal knowledge can be important when evaluating whether criminal activity was foreseeable and the property management acted. Witnesses who lived or worked at a property may provide information that is not apparent from police reports or the immediate incident alone.
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Who Is Responsible When Someone Is Shot at an Apartment Complex?
The person who commits a shooting may face criminal prosecution. However, a separate question is whether the apartment owner, management company, or another responsible party failed to take reasonable security precautions.
In Keyto’s case, the defense argued that Keyto himself might bear blame or that the unknown shooter or shooters were more responsible than the apartment complex.
The case ultimately settled with the property’s ownership and management for $6 Million. The settlement resolved the claims without requiring a final court determination of liability.
How the $6 Million Settlement Will Help Keyto and His Family
The $6 Million settlement was intended to help address Keyto’s future medical needs and provide for the financial future of his two daughters.
For families affected by a violent crime, the consequences can extend well beyond the initial emergency. Serious injuries may require continuing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and other long-term support. Families may also face financial uncertainty as they adjust to the effects of a life-changing injury.
A civil claim can provide a way to pursue financial recovery from parties whose negligence contributed to the harm, where supported by the evidence and applicable law.
Looking for a Negligent Security Lawyer After a Shooting or Violent Crime?
If you or a loved one was shot, assaulted, or seriously injured at an apartment complex, hotel, nightclub, shopping center, parking garage, or another property, you may have questions about whether inadequate security contributed to what happened.
Consider speaking with an attorney about the circumstances of the incident, especially if there were prior crimes, security complaints, known threats, or concerns about the property’s safety measures.
A negligent security investigation may examine:
- Prior criminal activity: Were there earlier shootings, assaults, robberies, or other incidents at or near the property?
- Security complaints and warnings: Did residents, employees, law enforcement, or others raise concerns?
- Existing security measures: Were lighting, locks, gates, access controls, cameras, or security personnel adequate under the circumstances?
- Property management decisions: Did the owner or manager know about risks and fail to take reasonable action?
- Witnesses and records: Can residents, employees, incident reports, or other evidence help establish what the property knew and how it responded?
Attorneys: Refer a Negligent Security Case to The Haggard Law Firm
Plaintiff attorneys may encounter cases in which negligent property security contributed to a shooting or other violent crime. These cases can require a distinct investigative approach, including analysis of prior criminal activity, security practices, property management decisions, and testimony from people familiar with the property.
The Haggard Law Firm has decades of experience successfully pursuing negligent security claims, including cases involving apartment complexes and allegations that ownership or management failed to respond appropriately to known security risks.
For attorneys considering a negligent security referral or seeking experienced co-counsel, the firm can discuss the facts of a potential case and whether its experience may be a fit.
If you are an attorney with a potential negligent security case, contact The Haggard Law Firm to discuss a possible referral or co-counsel arrangement. *Any referral or fee-sharing arrangement must comply with applicable professional conduct rules and be agreed upon by the parties.
Frequently Asked Questions About Negligent Security Cases
- Can I sue an apartment complex if I was shot on the property?
Possibly. A property owner or management company may face liability if it failed to take reasonable precautions against foreseeable criminal activity and that failure contributed to the shooting. Liability depends on the specific facts and applicable law.
- What evidence is important in an apartment complex negligent security case?
Potentially important evidence includes police reports, records of prior criminal incidents, security contracts, surveillance footage, maintenance records, resident complaints, employee testimony, and communications showing what ownership or management knew about security concerns. It is important that an experienced trial lawyer leaves no stone unturned.
- Does a negligent security case have to go to trial?
No. Some cases resolve through settlement, while others proceed to litigation and trial. The outcome depends on the evidence, the parties’ positions, and other case-specific factors. A settlement is not the same as a court finding that a defendant was liable.
- Can another attorney refer a negligent security case to The Haggard Law Firm?
Attorneys with potential negligent security matters can contact the firm to discuss whether a referral or co-counsel relationship may be appropriate. Any arrangement must comply with applicable professional conduct rules.
When a violent crime occurs, the investigation should not necessarily end with identifying the person who committed it. Examining the property’s security measures, prior warnings, and management decisions may reveal whether other parties contributed to the harm.
In Keyto’s case, a detailed investigation into conditions at a Pensacola apartment complex resulted in a $6 Million settlement with the property’s ownership and management. The settlement will help address Keyto’s future medical needs and support the financial future of his two daughters.
