The Treasure Coast — St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River Counties — is a rapidly growing region with a diverse mix of residential communities, resort properties, commercial corridors, and entertainment venues. Port St. Lucie is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. The Hutchinson Island resort corridor, the commercial strips along US-1 and Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, and the apartment complexes throughout the region all owe a legal duty to the people who enter their premises.

When a property owner or manager fails to provide adequate security — and a guest, tenant, or visitor is shot, robbed, or assaulted as a result — Florida's negligent security law provides a path to compensation. At Juan Cordero Lawyers, we represent Treasure Coast victims of violent crime in negligent security cases throughout St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River Counties.

Negligent security is a form of premises liability. Under Florida law, property owners and managers owe a duty of reasonable care to people who enter their property. When the property is located in an area with a known history of criminal activity, that duty includes taking reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable criminal acts.

Foreseeability is the central concept in negligent security law. A property owner is not an insurer against all crime. But when prior incidents of crime on or near the property put the owner on notice that violent crime is a foreseeable risk, the owner has a duty to take reasonable security measures. Failure to do so — and a subsequent violent crime that causes injury or death — gives rise to a negligent security claim.

Dark parking lots, stairwells, and common areas are among the most common security failures in Treasure Coast negligent security cases. Inadequate lighting creates concealment opportunities for criminals and reduces the deterrent effect of security measures.

Hotels, apartment complexes, and commercial properties in high-crime areas of the Treasure Coast often require security guards to meet the standard of reasonable care. The absence of security personnel — or the presence of untrained, unarmed, or inadequately supervised guards — can constitute negligent security.

Broken door locks, malfunctioning key card systems, propped-open security doors, and broken perimeter fencing allow unauthorized individuals to access areas where guests, tenants, and visitors have a reasonable expectation of safety.

Security cameras serve both a deterrent function and an investigative function. In high-crime areas, the absence of functioning surveillance cameras — or the failure to maintain and monitor existing cameras — can constitute negligent security.

The Hutchinson Island resort corridor — spanning Martin and St. Lucie Counties — includes hotels, condominiums, and resort properties along the Atlantic coast. These properties attract tourists and seasonal residents and have a duty to provide adequate security in common areas, parking lots, and beach access points.

Port St. Lucie's rapid growth has brought a large number of apartment complexes and commercial properties to the area. Apartment complexes in areas with elevated crime rates have a heightened duty to provide adequate security for their tenants. Common failures include broken perimeter fencing, malfunctioning entry systems, inadequate lighting, and absence of security personnel.

The commercial corridors along US-1 and Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce include gas stations, convenience stores, motels, and retail properties that are frequent sites of robberies and assaults. Property owners who are aware of prior criminal incidents have a duty to take reasonable security measures.

Port St. Lucie has a large number of Community Development Districts (CDDs) that manage common areas, amenity centers, and recreational facilities within planned communities. As special purpose government entities, CDDs may be subject to Florida's sovereign immunity statute (§768.28, Fla. Stat.), which caps damages at $200,000 per claimant / $300,000 per incident. Whether a CDD is subject to sovereign immunity depends on its specific legal structure and function.

Vero Beach and Indian River County have a mix of resort properties, residential communities, and commercial corridors. The Vero Beach hotel and resort market — including properties along Ocean Drive and A1A — has a duty to provide adequate security for guests.

Florida courts have recognized Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles as relevant to the standard of care in negligent security cases. CPTED evaluates whether the property's design — lighting, sight lines, fencing, landscaping, signage — deterred or facilitated the criminal act. Expert witnesses in negligent security cases often evaluate CPTED compliance as part of the liability analysis.

Under Florida law, a property owner's duty to provide security is triggered by foreseeability — whether the specific type of crime that occurred was foreseeable based on the prior criminal history of the property and the surrounding area. Evidence of prior similar incidents on the property is the most powerful evidence of foreseeability.

Florida's modified comparative fault rule (§768.81, Fla. Stat.), as amended by the 2023 tort reform (HB 837), bars recovery if the plaintiff is found to be more than 50% at fault. An experienced negligent security attorney can counter comparative fault arguments with evidence of the property owner's superior knowledge of the crime risk.

Under the 2023 tort reform (HB 837), the general personal injury statute of limitations in Florida was reduced from four years to two years from the date of the incident. This applies to negligent security claims. Do not delay — contact an attorney as soon as possible after a violent crime injury.

Negligent security cases in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties are filed in the 19th Judicial Circuit. An attorney with experience in the 19th Circuit's courts and judges can provide significant strategic advantages in litigation.

When a violent crime results in death, Florida's Wrongful Death Act (§768.16–768.26, Fla. Stat.) provides a separate cause of action. Recoverable damages include the mental pain and suffering of surviving family members.

Recoverable damages in negligent security cases include:

• Medical expenses — emergency care, surgeries, hospitalization, rehabilitation
• Lost wages and earning capacity — income lost during recovery and future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering — physical pain and emotional distress
• Mental anguish and PTSD — the psychological impact of surviving a violent crime
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages — mental pain and suffering of surviving family members

Juan Cordero Lawyers represents Treasure Coast victims of violent crime in negligent security cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win.

If you or a family member was shot, robbed, or assaulted at a Treasure Coast hotel, apartment complex, or other property, call 305-525-8957 for a free consultation.

• What Is Negligent Security in Florida?
• Florida Negligent Security Lawyer
• Florida Hotel and Motel Shooting Liability
• Florida Wrongful Death Law
• Our Verdicts and Settlements
• Florida Statutes of Limitations for Injury Claims

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