Coral Gables, FL 33134
633 S. Andrews Avenue Suite 400
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 323-4400
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The Haggard Law Firm is proud to announce that trial lawyers Jason Brenner and Pedro Echarte have been named partners.
Press Conference Scheduled 12/18/18
Mother of a 12 Year Old Murdered By a Convicted Sex Offender Says Owners/Managers of an Apartment Complex Could Have Prevented the Tragedy
Pensacola, FL – Shantara Hurry, the mother of 12-year-old Naomi Jones, who police say was murdered by convicted sex offender Robert Howard in 2017, is filing a negligent security lawsuit against those responsible for the apartment complex where her daughter was kidnapped.
Jones went missing from her apartment located at 1460 E. Johnson Avenue in Pensacola, Florida on May 31, 2017. The disappearance captivated and mobilized the community to find Naomi. Her remains were eventually found in an Escambia County creek on June 5. Two days later, Howard was arrested and charged with the kidnapping and murder. The 39-year-old convicted sex offender lived in the same complex as the 12-year-old girl and her family.
The lawsuit against the owners of that apartment complex, Aspen Village Acquisition, and the management company, Progressive Management of America, highlights that the two companies should have known or knew that they were allowing a convicted sex offender, Howard, to live in the complex. The lawsuit adds that apartment ownership and management “breached its duty of reasonable care by permitting an unregistered sex offender to reside upon the Premises, thus allowing the offender continual, unfettered access to young children and others upon whom persons with his predilections are known to prey.”
The Haggard Law Firm is representing Jones’ mother in the case. Trial lawyer Christopher Marlowe (email CLM@HaggardLawFirm.com) says for the family the press conference and lawsuit is about holding everyone accountable for this tragic loss and preventing it from happening again.
“Ms. Hurry wants to bring attention to this civil action (lawsuit) in hopes that it will motivate all apartment complex owners and managers to exercise actionable, logical and moral care by never allowing offenders to live in their property, giving them access to children,” says Marlowe.
Press/Media Conference Details
According to a report by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, employees at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were “tragically unprepared” to best protect students on the day of the mass shooting that killed 17 people and injured 17 others. The newspapers reports that the lack of preparation was due to “inadequate training and unclear procedures in the school district.”
The lack of a coherent, uniform policy is one of the major failures identified by a state commission investigating the Feb. 14 massacre.
The paper learned that district officials were unsure as to whether a “Code Red” meant an “active killer”. It does not.
Continue reading “REPORT: Code Red Confusion By School Employees on Day of Mass Shooting”
Haggard Law Firm Happy Holidays Video
We want to wish everyone the happiest of holidays. We hope the good will of this season extends year-around…no matter who you cheer for…
On May 30, 2018, 23 year old Juvon Simon was shot twice through the closed door of a neighbor’s apartment by Florida City Police Officer Frantz Hardy. Simon died as a result of his injuries. The Haggard Law Firm has joined with the Law Firm of Asnis, Srebnick & Kaufman to represent the Simon family. We have jointly filed, on behalf of Simon’s mother, a lawsuit against the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s office and The City of Florida City.
The intention of the legal filing (a pure bill of discovery) is to make sure the family has access to all evidence that materializes as part of the criminal investigation into the shooting. The family also wants to ensure that the investigation is conducted in a timely manner.
On Wednesday October 31, 2018 at 11 AM, the Simon family will hold a press conference outside of Florida City Hall to discuss the legal filing.
During the press conference family members will be joined by The Haggard Law Firm’s Christopher Marlowe and Dan Kaufman of Asnis, Srebnick & Kaufman to discuss a variety of topics including:
If you are a member of the media interested in attending or learning more, please contact J.P. HERVIS, Senior Publicist, Brandstory Communications 561.995.6560, JP@BrandstoryCommunications.com
By Christopher Marlowe, trial lawyer, The Haggard Law Firm
Halloween is one of the more interesting celebrations in the United States and throughout much of the world. For a few hours one night of the year, generally beginning at dusk, children of all ages transform into their favorite ghoul, villain, superhero, princess or idol. They have a license to collect as much candy as the human body could possibly consume in a dizzyingly short period, and will likely go to bed sated on a meal fit for only Willy Wonka.
Continue reading “Safety Steps Property Managers & HOAs Should Take This Halloween”
Haggard Law Firm trial lawyer Pedro Echarte has finalized the terms of a $1 million settlement in a negligent security/wrongful death case where the victim was the father of five.
Haggard Law represented the plaintiff’s decedent who was murdered in an attempted armed robbery while speaking on the phone outside of his apartment complex in Pompano Beach, Florida on January 31 of 2017. Liability centered around the apartment complex’s lack of security measures at the apartment (including, but not limited to, inadequate lighting, lack of surveillance cameras, and lack of access control) despite a history of crime in the surrounding neighborhood. Plaintiff’s decedent left one surviving son here in the United States and a surviving widow in Honduras along with five surviving daughters. The defendant settled for policy limits.
Continue reading “CASE RESULT: $1 Million Settlement in Apartment Complex Negligent Security Case”
(Pictured Above from Left to Right, Following Thursday’s Verdict: Haggard Law’s Todd Michaels, Champion Legal’s Dan Karanikis, Client Nick Pastor, co-counsel Robert Solomon of Saban and Solomon, Haggard Law’s James Blecke)
Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Following a 9 day trial, a Broward County jury agreed that management of longtime Las Olas hotspot Mangos could have prevented the beating and shooting of a man if it had adequate security measures in place. The victim (plaintiff) Nicolas Pastor, was awarded $1.182 Million for the injuries he says altered the course of his life.
The incident occurred March 24, 2012. Pastor was alongside a couple of friends waiting for a table at Mangos in Ft. Lauderdale. The manager of Mangos told the police that night that Pastor was aggressively grabbed by a man inside the restaurant who began viciously beating him along with two other men.
“Mangos had no security and no security procedures to deal with this fight. According to their manager, their only concern was pushing their customer who had been attacked out into the street with his attackers,” says Todd Michaels of The Haggard Law Firm.
Michaels tried and built the case with co-counsel Robert Solomon of Saban and Solomon.
Once the fight was in the street, one of the assailants pulled out a pistol and shot Pastor. The then 32-year-old man was rushed to Broward General Hospital where doctors completed emergency lifesaving procedures including an exploratory laparotomy and a thoracotomy. During the trial, Michaels and Solomon made clear that six years later the attack on their client shattered his life-limiting his ability to work, to sleeping, and restricting his ability to play with his son.
Continue reading “Nearly $1.2 Million Verdict For Man Beat & Shot at Popular Restaurant”
Congratulations to Haggard Law Firm trial lawyer Todd Michaels for being named a Fellow of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. The Florida Justice Association’s Fellows program recognizes individual accomplishments as a trial lawyer and contributions to the mission of the FJA. Michaels was voted into the exclusive and distinguished program by his peers.
To qualify, members of the Fellows program must be past presidents of the Florida Justice Association, a current voting member,a board member for at least 5 years, a recipient of the Crystal EAGLE Award, and an Eagle Patron.
About Florida Justice Association
The Florida Justice Association (FJA), formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers.
FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.
Todd Michaels Bio
Todd Michaels Esq, a lifelong Miami-Dade resident, joined The Haggard Law Firm in 2009. In May 2014, he was named partner at the firm. Todd handles a wide array of the firm’s cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury, representing clients who were injured through the negligence of others. His practice primarily involves negligent security throughout the State of Florida and nationwide. Todd has been a frequent speaker on various aspects of negligent security law to different Legal and Security industry groups throughout the country, and has had articles relating to negligent security cases published. Click to read full bio
VIDEO
Michaels discusses how trial lawyers must always be focused on trial, not a settlement.
A duck boat with 31 people on board capsized and sank to the bottom of Table Rock Lake in Missouri during a severe thunderstorm on Thursday, resulting in one of the deadliest boat accidents in American history. There were official weather warnings before the operators of this boat took it onto the lake with the lives they were responsible for. The Associated Press reports that “a private inspector said ….that he warned the company operating duck boats…about design flaws putting the watercraft at greater risk of sinking, less than a year before the accident.”
Tia Coleman lost 10 of her loved ones in that tragedy, including three children, her husband and five other members of her family.
Michael Haggard, the Managing Partner of the Haggard Law Firm says his law firm prays for the families that have suffered so much from the tragedy.
He added, “It is unfathomable that a maritime commercial operator can claim that severe thunderstorms, extremely high winds, and unsafe water conditions can come out of nowhere. With today’s GPS and Radar technology, this is simply not the case. This vessel should have never been allowed to go on this trip.” The Duck Boat operators, like any business owners, are responosible for the safety of their customers/guests. The Haggard Law FIrm has an extensive history of successfully litigating cases where business owners do not take every needed step to keep customer safe as well as maritime and drowning cases.
“This is was an absolutely preventable tragedy that one can only hope changes the standards, oversite and design of this or any other type of similar vessel.
to read full article from Associated Press, click here
CONTACT HAGGARD LAW: CLICK HERE or call 305.446.5700
The Haggard Law Firm, P.A. represents the rights of people seriously injured or killed through the fault of others. We are passionately committed to our clients and stress the highest level of personal service, professionalism and case preparation.
