Can I Sue for Being Shot or Stabbed in Phoenix?

Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Phoenix?

Often, yes. If you were shot or stabbed on a Phoenix property — an apartment complex, bar or nightclub, parking garage, store, hotel, or transit stop — and the owner failed to provide the reasonable security a foreseeable risk called for, Arizona law may let you hold that 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.

Phoenix negligent-security law — the short version

Phoenix cases are governed by Arizona law. Arizona recognizes a duty to protect against foreseeable third-party crime; how much security was required, and whether the owner acted reasonably, is generally a jury question. A negligent-security lawsuit here is generally filed in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County (Maricopa County). For the full Arizona standard — deadlines, how fault is shared, and what you can recover — see our Arizona negligent security page.

Public safety in Phoenix

Phoenix’s homicide count has fallen from a recent peak, though its overall violent-crime rate remains above the national average and the year-to-year picture is mixed. A negligent-security claim does not rest on those citywide figures; it rests on the history of prior crime at the specific property and whether the owner had reason to foresee the risk.

Where these cases happen in Phoenix

In Phoenix, these claims commonly arise in the downtown and Central City entertainment core, along the Van Buren Street corridor, and in west and south Phoenix, as well as around Valley Metro light-rail stations. The property types most often involved are apartment and multi-family complexes, bars and nightclubs, parking lots and garages, convenience stores and gas stations, retail, and hotels and motels.

Good to know in Phoenix

A Phoenix negligent-security case is filed in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. The Phoenix Police Department’s Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program sets recognized minimum-security standards for rental properties — lighting, locks, and other measures — and a property’s participation, or failure to meet those standards, can bear on whether reasonable security was in place.

Deadlines for a Phoenix case

• 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.

Surveillance footage and other evidence disappear quickly, so it is important to act fast.

Why Phoenix 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 Phoenix crime victims and their families with no fee unless we win.

How we handle a Arizona 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 Arizona. 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 Arizona cases as co-counsel with a locally licensed Arizona attorney, seeking admission pro hac vice (for the individual case) where the court’s rules permit. Any Arizona matter would be handled together with local counsel admitted in Arizona.

If you were shot, stabbed, or lost a loved one to a preventable crime in Arizona, you can still reach out to us directly. We will review your case for free and, where appropriate, associate with a qualified Arizona 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.