Family of Jacksonville Woman Files Suit Against Landlord for Her Death

The mother of a Jacksonville woman filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her landlord alleging that the landlord’s failure to provide adequate security lead to her death. According to the suit, the woman’s back door was broken and she repeatedly asked the landlord to repair it. In September of 2007, two men kicked in the door and one of the men shot the woman.

A landlord has a legal obligation to provide a secure home with properly functioning doors and locks. According to the mother, her daughter had complained many times about the broken door. The defense of the case is focused on the notion that the intruders were targeting the woman and that no reasonable degree of security would have prevented them from entering the house.

These types of cases are commonly referred to as “premises liability” cases. Premises liability cases are founded on negligence, meaning that the claimant must prove that the landlord did something wrong. In other words, a landlord is not responsible to pay damages for personal injury resulting from a crime or accident just because it happened on the landlord’s property.

If you have any questions about a premises liabilty case, whether it stems from a slip and fall or an assault or crime, please contact our a Jacksonville personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.