Jacksonville Landing Hit with 10 Lawsuits
The number of lawsuits targeting Jacksonville Landing, the outdoor mall where the fatal gamer shooting took place, has now risen to 10. Baltimore gamer, David Katz, opened fire on others at a Madden 19 qualifying tournament before turning the gun on himself. Two died and several others were wounded in the attack. Now, survivors are wondering what share of the blame the owners of the mall have for allowing the attack to take place.
This is an example of a personal injury lawsuit filed under the theory of negligent security.
What is Negligent Security?
Negligent security is one a number of premises liability lawsuits that can be filed against a proprietor or owner. It is assumed that when customers enter a property that is opened to the public they are owed a duty of care. The proprietor must ensure their safety and security.
Like most premises liability lawsuits, the plaintiff must successfully argue that a potential threat to customer safety was foreseeable. Indeed, the question of foreseeability undergirds the majority of premises liability lawsuits. This is even true in slip and fall cases. A plaintiff must prove that the proprietors or those operating the store on their behalf were aware or should have been aware of a potential danger (because that danger was often present). Negligent security claims work much the same way. If a plaintiff can prove that the proprietor should have known some form of violence was likely, they can win a case against a proprietor on a theory of negligent security.
The Venue will be Central to the Success of the Lawsuits
Plaintiffs are targeting the mall and the pizza parlor where the gunfire claimed the lives of two people. Central to the case is whether or not the pizza parlor should have been allowed to host the video game competition. According to reports, the layout of GLHF (Good Luck, Have Fun) which is situated inside the leased space of the landing was not inspected by Jacksonville building inspectors and may have made the gunman’s targets easier to shoot. There are also allegations of the venue being too small to house the number of gamers who showed up for the event.
In addition, those who held the tournament never contacted Jacksonville police who would have sent multiple officers to the venue. The violence was foreseeable. Jacksonville landing has had issues concerning violence in the past and gamer tournaments have turned deadly before.
Among those targeted in the lawsuit were EA Sports which sponsored the event. The lawsuits allege that EA Sports should have been aware of the potential danger and insisted on some form of security for the event. Additionally, competitors who sponsor tournaments of this kind generally do have security at their events.
Talk to a Miami Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you’ve sustained serious injuries, you may be able to recover damages. The Miami legal team at the office of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. has helped numerous clients do just that. Please contact us online or give us a call at our office to set up a free consultation.
Resource:
abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-mall-shooting-occurred-faces-10-lawsuits-59380881
