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$11 Million Negligent Security Wrongful Death Case Settlement

Pedro Echarte of The Haggard Law Firm and Mark B. Stanley of The Stanley Law Group, have successfully resolved an $11 million settlement in a wrongful death case centered on negligent security. This case arose from a tragic shooting incident at an apartment complex in Duval County, Florida, in 2020. The victim was fatally shot while visiting the complex, leaving behind two grieving parents and a child who was born posthumously.


Echarte and Stanley argued that the apartment complex failed to provide adequate security, especially given its extensive history of criminal activity. In contrast, the defendants contended that the existing security measures were sufficient and that the victim bore responsibility for the incident.

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte, trial lawyer


 The case was resolved shortly before trial, resulting in a settlement of $11 million. The identities of the parties involved and the specific date of the incident remain confidential as stipulated by the settlement agreement. 

The Haggard Law Firm has a proven track record, having litigated hundreds of negligent security cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury. Recently, Echarte secured a $7 million settlement in a similar case involving a preventable homicide at an apartment complex. Over the past two decades, The Haggard Law Firm has secured over $1 Billion in verdicts and settlements in cases related to negligent or inadequate security.

$7 Million Settlement in Negligent Security Wrongful Death Case

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte has secured a $7 Million settlement in negligent security wrongful death case where the victim was tragically killed during an attempted armed robbery and carjacking. 

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$2 Million Policy Limit Settlement in Wrongful Death Case Involving Vacation Rental Home Guest

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte along with co-counsel Joey Rafaeli, Esq of Rafaeli Law and Erik Feingold, Esq of Myers Widders Gibson Jones & Feingold, have obtained a $2 Million policy limit settlement in an Orlando-area negligent security wrongful death case. The case involved the shooting death of a vacation home rental guest.

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$19.5 Million Settlement Involving Negligent Security Cases Against Same Defendant

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte and Michael Haggard have obtained a $19.5 Million global settlement involving two separate negligent security cases against common defendants. While the incidents were entirely unrelated, the same common defendants owned and operated the two multi-family residential properties in South Florida. Both incidents happened only months apart from each other. The names of the parties are confidential. Because both incidents were covered by the same insurance policies, Echarte and Haggard negotiated the settlement of both cases for the available policy limits of $19,000,000 in addition to an extra $500,000 directly from the defendant property management company. Both cases settled shortly after the respective lawsuits were filed.

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$3 Million Negligent Security Wrongful Death Settlement in Case Involving Apartment Complex Shooting

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte has obtained a $3 Million settlement for the family of a 15-year-old boy murdered at an Orlando apartment complex with a history of crime.

On July 1, 2018, “W.I.”, a 15-year-old boy, was shot and killed at the Boca Club Apartments in Orlando, FL. At the time of the incident the teenager lived at the apartment complex with his father. “W.I.” left behind his devastated parents who were the survivors of his claim.

The Haggard Law Firm brought this action against the apartment complex for failing to have needed security measures to protect residents and guests. Echarte was able to show that the apartment complex had a long history of both violent and non-violent crime. Despite this history of crime, the apartment complex never warned its residents of the crime occurring within the community or invested in the security that could have prevented this and other tragedies.

As a result, neither the 15-year-old or his family knew the extent of the crime in the community or the full extent of the risk that existed there.

Attorney Pedro Echarte Photo
Trial Lawyer Pedro Echarte

The Haggard Law Firm was able to show that the apartment complex had few of the necessary security measures. It did not have access control, surveillance cameras, or a sufficient amount of manned security. While the apartment complex did claim it not only had manned security but that it had two security guards on the night of the incident, the defendants were never able to provide any proof that security guards were actually on the property at the time of the incident. No security logs, time sheets, reports, or any other information to substantiate their claim concerning the presence of security guards was ever produced.

Ultimately, the case was resolved leading up to trial.

$9 Million Settlement – Catastrophic Injury Car Crash Case

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte and co-counsel Angel Diaz of Kirshner, Groff & Diaz have obtained a $9,000,000 settlement in a catastrophic injury car crash case.

On March 12, 2021, Defendant Luis Iraheta traveled on vacation to Florida with a friend. Mr. Iraheta rented a Lamborghini Urus from Co-Defendant GoExotics.

That evening, Mr. Iraheta and his friend went to several nightclubs until they ended up at a nightclub in North Miami called the Arena Grill & Lounge. Echarte and Diaz’s client, Abraham, worked security at the nightclub.

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$1 Million Policy Limit Settlement in Case Involving Sexual Assault of a Minor

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte has obtained a $1 Million policy limit settlement in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor at an Orange County, Florida daycare. The parties, insurance carriers, defense counsel, date of loss, and school where the incident occurred are confidential.

Echarte represented the parents of a 7-year-old child, who was molested by an older student during an after-school care program that was operated by the defendant (a private entity). The incident occurred in a bathroom in the school’s cafeteria during after-school care hours. Both students were enrolled in the after-school care program at the time of the incident.

Attorney Pedro Echarte Photo
Trial lawyer Pedro Echarte
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Jacksonville Apartment Complex Settles for $3.6 Million in Negligent Security Wrongful Death Case

The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte and Michael Haggard, along with co-counsel Millicent Daniels from Batts-Daniels Law, have obtained a $3.6 Million settlement in a wrongful death negligent security case in Duval County, Florida. The young father killed had only recently moved into the apartment complex where he was shot. The property had an extensive history of prior crime.

Attorney Pedro Echarte Photo
The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte
Attorney Michael Haggard Photo
Managing Partner Michael Haggard

It was December 20, 2017 when DeAngelo Tillie was shot and killed while inside his apartment unit at the Camelot Gardens Apartments. Shortly before the shooting, Mr. Tillie’s minor daughter came to his apartment to spend the holidays with him. At approximately 3:30 p.m. that day, while his daughter was in the bedroom watching television and he was sitting on his sofa in the living room, two unknown assailants opened the door to his unit and shot him numerous times. At the time of the incident, the apartment complex was owned by Defendant Eagle Gardens of Jacksonville, LLC, and managed by Lohman Property MGMT.CO., LLC., which were related entities that were controlled by the same individual.

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