According to local media outlets in Miami, the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a man shot around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, near the 2800 block of W. Broward Blvd. at Club Pink South. 21-year-old Wendell Soliphar, who recently moved to the United States from the Bahamas, was leaving the club when he was shot and killed. A family member told CBS Miami that he believes Wendell was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The victim leaves behind an 8-year-old daughter.
Initial reports lay out some similarities between this case and a negligent security case litigated by The Haggard Law Firm a decade ago.
In 2007, Haggard Law earned a $102 million verdict in the negligent security case of client Sami Barrack. Barrak was sitting in his car outside of Tootsie’s Cabaret in Miami-Dade County when he was approached by an unknown person who attempted to rob him at gunpoint. After a brief exchange of unknown words, the assailant shot Mr. Barrak in the neck and left, rendering Mr. Barrak a ventilator-dependant quadriplegic.
After a monthlong trial, the jury on Nov. 28 found Fort Lauderdale-based Report Investment Corp., a property ownership company, liable for the medical expenses and lost earnings.
On behalf of Mr. Barrack, Haggard Law argued that Report Investment failed to have an adequate number of security cameras, failed to illuminate the area sufficiently and did not have competent security to patrol the lot. The complaint also alleges the defendant failed to follow security procedures it had in place at the time Barrak was shot.
In the recent tragedy at Club Pink South, there are no initial indications (as of this article) of security lapses. But the criminal investigation has only begun and it is unclear if Soliphar’s family has retained counsel to properly investigate the crime to see if a civil action is warranted. The first step for a personal injury lawyer, in this case, would be to gauge the foreseeability of the crime.
To learn more about foreseeability in negligent security cases and the Barrak case . (Click here to watch a Haggard Law Video)
To watch the CBS Miami story on Wednesday’s shooting: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2017/07/05/deadly-shooting-in-front-of-broward-strip-club/
