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 thrilled to support Generation Nexxt with a second season of our Haggard Helping Hands segment. These segments will appear throughout the youth football season on NBC 6 in South Florida during the Generation Nexxt program which airs at noon.
We are proud to announce that the Haggard Law Firm has, once again, been included on the U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list.
Haggard Law was recognized in two separate categories: Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs and Appellate Practice.
Continue reading “US News & World Report: Haggard Law a 2017 “Best Law Firm””
Today’s issue of the Daily Business Review takes an in-depth look at the recent $10.1 million settlement result in a negligent security case litigated by our Pedro Echarte.
Here is the full text of the article authored by Celia Ampel:
Bryan Perez was just 22 when he was shot and paralyzed while trying to protect his sister, mother and pregnant girlfriend from home invaders.
The 2014 shooting left him in a wheelchair, making it difficult for him to work and to go out alone with his baby.
Continue reading “DBR Highlights $10.1 Million Haggard Law Negligent Security Result”
The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard has been selected as a Lifetime Achievement honoree among America’s Top 100 Attorneys®.
Selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys® is by invitation only and is comprised of the nation’s most exceptional attorneys whose accomplishments merit a lifetime achievement recognition. Lifetime Achievement recognition among America’s Top 100 Attorneys® is meant to identify and promote the most outstanding and impactful legal talent currently serving throughout the nation. Only 100 attorneys in each state* will receive this honor and be selected for Lifetime Achievement Membership among America’s Top 100 Attorneys®. Selection is not achieved based on a single accomplishment or a single great year of success, but rather on a lifetime of hard work, ethical standards, and community enriching accomplishments that are inspiring among the legal profession. This honor is not given every year, or every 10 years; it is given but once-in-a-lifetime. To help ensure that all attorneys selected for membership meet the very high standards expected for selection, candidates for lifetime membership are carefully screened through third-party research and statistical analysis based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, lifetime achievements, significant case results, peer reputation, and community impact . While selection for any award, honor, or exclusive membership organization is always subjective in nature, we developed our comprehensive multi-phase selection process in an effort to help ensure that only the attorneys whose lifetime achievements extol the legal profession are chosen. With these extremely high standards for selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor — truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community.
$10.1 Million Settlement in Negligent Security Case Brought by 22 year old Father Paralyzed in Shooting
Miami, FL – The homeowners association, property manager, and other related entities at a Miami townhome community have agreed to pay more than $10 million dollars to 22-year-old Bryan Perez and his infant son to settle a negligent security lawsuit.
On August 18th 2014, in an attempted armed home invasion robbery, Perez was shot 6 times in his family’s rental unit at the Carmel Lakes townhome community, which is located at 20761 NE 4th Place Miami, Florida 33179. As a result of the crime, Perez was rendered an incomplete paraplegic. Perez had recently moved to the complex with his family and was unaware of its history of crime, which consisted of numerous burglaries and armed robberies. The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte who litigated the case says “the community’s security measures were entirely inadequate to protect its residents and tenants.”
On the night of the incident, Perez was on his porch with a friend when three gunmen approached and asked for a safe that was in the home. Perez and his family were the victims of a burglary at the same unit a few months before the subject shooting, had purchased a safe to store their valuables as a result, and the box for that safe was on the porch at the time of the shooting. While demanding Perez and his guest enter the home, Perez attempted to close a sliding glass door in an effort to protect his family, including his then-pregnant girlfriend, mother, and little sister who were all inside the home at the time of the incident. The gunmen proceeded to start shooting through the glass door, hitting Perez multiple times.
Echarte says the evidence against those responsible for needed security at Carmel Lakes was overwhelming, including:
Later today, The Haggard Law Firm’s Douglas McCarron will lead a presentation during The 2016 National Crime Victim Bar Association’s National Conference in Philadelphia. The Conference is currently underway in conjunction with the National Center for Victims of Crime’s 2016 National Training Institute.
McCarron’s presentation, Negligent Security Case Gameplan: “Blocking & Tackling Fundamentals Mixed with Razzle Dazzle”, his highly demonstrative , interactive and will highlight what every Victim’s lawyers must know presenting their Negligent Security case.
Continue reading “McCarron to Present Negligent Security Gameplan During National Conference Today”
Del Rio Apartment Complex Owners Ignored Multiple Requests from Staff to Increase Security
Tampa – The companies that once owned the Avesta Del Rio Apartment Complex have agreed to pay the family of 23-year-old murder victim Damian Bowie $1.8 million to settle a negligent security lawsuit. The lawsuit filed by Douglas McCarron of The Haggard Law Firm (www.haggardlawfirm.com) alleged that the deadly 2014 shooting that claimed Bowie’s life could have been prevented if complex ownership took action after multiple requests by staff members to better secure the property.
On March 2, 2014, Bowie visited the Del Rio apartments (5013 E. Sligh Avenue, Tampa) to spend time with friends before going to pick up his son Damian Jr. But, shortly before 4 p.m. that day, the father of three was assaulted, shot and killed on the property.
“Through the course of our investigation, which included testimony by the defendant’s property manager, it was clear that the employees at the property were pleading for more security and consistently telling upper management how people’s lives were are risk. Instead of acting responsibly, the defendant simply turned a blind eye” said McCarron.
The lawsuit against 5013 Sligh LLC and Avesta Homes on behalf of the victim’s mother and his three children Damian Jr. (5), Damion (3) and Sincere (2 – born two months after his father was killed), alleged the property’s owners knew the area and property were considered high crime areas. McCarron adds, “unfortunately their inaction allowed this tragedy to occur and now three young boys will never see their father again.”
The lawsuit highlights:
The victim’s family members hope new attention on this case will help police. No one has been charged in the crime.
It should be noted that the defendants in this case currently do NOT own the Avesta Del Rio Complex.
Authorities say a 10-year-old girl who was taken to the hospital following a near-drowning at a Jacksonville hotel has died.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reports the Pensacola girl was swimming at the Hilton Garden Inn pool late Saturday night with three young family members. At some point she went underwater. Two of the children tried to pull her out of the pool, while the third child ran to an employee of the property for help.
When deputies arrived at the hotel, CPR was being performed on the girl. Patrol deputies took over CPR efforts until St. Johns County Fire Rescue paramedics arrived and took the girl to Beaches Baptist. She was then air lifted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, where she later died.
Authorities said they believe there were no adults present with the children at the time, and the pool was apparently closed to swimming before the incident.
Christopher Marlowe of The Haggard Law Firm says this most recent tragedy should remind businesses of the imperative responsibility to fully secure their pools.
Continue reading “10 Year Old Drowns In Jacksonville Hotel Pool”
Pictured above is our Todd Michaels conducting one of two negligent security presentations during the 62nd Annual ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits conference. ASIS International is a global community of security practitioners. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the conference currently underway in Orlando.
The presentation: How to Avoid a $100,000,000 Verdict Against Your Business. Michaels is also scheduled for a separate presentation during this week’s conference.
Since 2007, The Haggard Law Firm has litigated more than 155 negligent security cases that have resulted in more than $345 in verdicts and settlement including a $102.7 million verdict in Barrack vs Report Investment Corporation (Learn more negligent security notable cases, click here)
The conference is the organization’s largest event of the year.
The Association for Safe International Travel reports that 37,000 people die in car accidents per year in the United States while another 2.35 million are injured or disabled. An estimated 180,000 people are driving for Uber. That number continues to grow. So with this kind of volume and activity it is inevitable that the number of accidents involving this driving service will rise.
So if a personal injury attorney’s client was injured in a crash involving Uber, what should the lawyer consider when litigating that case?
That is the topic of discussion that will be lead by Haggard Law attorneys Jason Brenner and Todd Michaels during this month’s Florida Justice Association Masters of Justice CLE program.
Uber Duber Do…Your Client Was in an Accident with Uber, Now What Do You Do? is one of the sessions that will be offered to attendees of the program as part of the Auto Negligence Seminar to be conducted on Wednesday, September 28th. There are a few more spots available for this seminar. To learn more about it and register click here. The FJA Masters of Justice Program will be held in Orlando from September 28th through the 30th.
Attending this year’s FJA Masters of Justice program is a great way to renew the excitement and focus on your mission as a personal injury attorney. Make plans NOW to register to attend to ensure you have the strategies and techniques in your toolbox that have proven to work for other attorneys in civil litigation cases. You’ll be sure to take away valuable information and innovative ideas that can immediately aid you in your efforts to assist your clients in their cases.
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.