Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Texas?
Often, yes. Texas property owners owe a duty to take reasonable steps to protect people on their premises from foreseeable crime. When a business or landlord ignores a known danger and someone is shot or stabbed as a result, Texas law can hold the owner financially responsible — through a negligent-security claim. You are not suing for the crime itself; you are suing the property owner for the security failures that made a foreseeable attack possible. This is separate from any criminal case against the attacker.
How Texas decides if a crime was “foreseeable”
Texas uses the Timberwalk factors (from Timberwalk Apartments v. Cain): courts weigh the proximity, recency, frequency, similarity, and publicity of prior crimes to decide whether an attack was foreseeable. Texas also requires showing that the risk was unreasonable — not merely foreseeable (UDR Texas Properties v. Petrie).
Deadlines in Texas
- Negligence / personal injury: generally two years from the date of the incident from the date of the incident.
- Wrongful death: generally two years from the date of death.
Evidence like surveillance footage disappears fast, so it’s important to act quickly.
Fault sharing in Texas
Texas follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (‘proportionate responsibility’): you recover nothing if you are found more than 50% at fault.
What you can recover
Texas does not cap compensatory damages in an ordinary negligence case. For families, a wrongful-death claim can recover funeral costs and the loss of support and companionship.
Why Texas victims choose The Haggard Law Firm
The firm has handled nearly 500 negligent-security cases nationwide and secured the largest negligent-security verdict in U.S. history ($102.7 million). We help Texas crime victims and their families with no fee unless we win.
How we handle a Texas case — working with local counsel
The Haggard Law Firm is based in Coral Gables, Florida, and Michael A. Haggard is licensed to practice law in Florida. Mr. Haggard is not licensed in Texas. Negligent security and crime-victim litigation is the firm’s core focus, and because of the national reputation the firm has built in this specific area, Mr. Haggard regularly works on Texas cases as co-counsel with a locally licensed Texas attorney, seeking admission pro hac vice (for the individual case) where the court’s rules permit. Any Texas matter would be handled together with local counsel admitted in Texas.
If you were shot, stabbed, or lost a loved one to a preventable crime in Texas, you can still reach out to us directly. We will review your case for free and, where appropriate, associate with a qualified Texas attorney to pursue it.
This page is attorney advertising and general information only; it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Michael A. Haggard is licensed in Florida. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sue for being shot in Texas?
Often, yes. If you were shot on a Texas property that failed to provide reasonable security against a foreseeable risk, you may be able to sue the property owner for negligent security — separately from any criminal case against the shooter. Texas weighs the Timberwalk factors — the proximity, recency, frequency, similarity, and publicity of prior crimes — and also asks whether the risk was unreasonable. A free case review will tell you whether you have a claim.
Can I sue if I was stabbed on someone's property in Texas?
Possibly. A stabbing on a Texas property with inadequate security is handled the same way as a shooting — if the attack was foreseeable and the owner failed to provide reasonable security, the owner may be liable. The claim is against the property owner, not only the attacker.
How long do I have to file a negligent-security claim in Texas?
Generally two years from the date of the incident from the date of the incident for a negligence claim, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death. Confirm your specific deadline with a lawyer quickly.
Is Michael Haggard licensed to practice in Texas?
Mr. Haggard is licensed in Florida, not in Texas. Because negligent-security litigation is his firm's core focus and the firm has a national profile in these cases, he regularly serves as co-counsel with a locally licensed Texas attorney and, where the court permits, appears pro hac vice for the individual case. You can contact the firm directly, and where appropriate it will associate with qualified local counsel in Texas.
How does Texas decide if a property owner is liable?
Texas weighs the Timberwalk factors — the proximity, recency, frequency, similarity, and publicity of prior crimes — and also asks whether the risk was unreasonable. If the crime was foreseeable and the owner failed to provide reasonable security, they can be held responsible.
What does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. We work on contingency — no attorney's fees unless we recover compensation for you.