Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Georgia?
Often, yes. Georgia 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, Georgia 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 Georgia decides if a crime was “foreseeable”
Georgia’s negligent-security law changed recently and the standard depends on when your incident happened. For incidents on or after April 21, 2025, a new statute (SB 68) governs these claims and generally tightens what a victim must prove — focusing on prior similar incidents or specific warnings of danger, carving out certain situations, and requiring fault to be apportioned to the criminal who committed the act. Because this is a significant, very recent change, having an experienced firm evaluate exactly which standard applies to your case matters more than ever.
Deadlines in Georgia
- 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.
Georgia can pause (toll) the deadline while a related criminal prosecution is pending, which often extends the time a crime victim has to file. Evidence like surveillance footage disappears fast, so it’s important to act quickly.
Fault sharing in Georgia
Georgia follows modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar and apportions fault among everyone responsible, including the criminal perpetrator. Under the 2025 statute, there is a rebuttable presumption that the perpetrator’s share of fault is at least equal to the property owner’s — which makes experienced advocacy essential.
What you can recover
Georgia does not cap compensatory damages in a negligence case. For families, a wrongful-death claim can recover funeral costs and the loss of support and companionship.
Why Georgia 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 Georgia crime victims and their families with no fee unless we win.
How we handle a Georgia 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 Georgia. 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 Georgia cases as co-counsel with a locally licensed Georgia attorney, seeking admission pro hac vice (for the individual case) where the court’s rules permit. Any Georgia matter would be handled together with local counsel admitted in Georgia.
If you were shot, stabbed, or lost a loved one to a preventable crime in Georgia, you can still reach out to us directly. We will review your case for free and, where appropriate, associate with a qualified Georgia 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 Georgia?
Often, yes. If you were shot on a Georgia 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. Georgia tightened its negligent-security standard with a 2025 statute (SB 68); liability now turns heavily on prior similar incidents or specific warnings, and fault is apportioned to the perpetrator. A free case review will tell you whether you have a claim.
Can I sue if I was stabbed on someone's property in Georgia?
Possibly. A stabbing on a Georgia 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 Georgia?
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. Georgia can pause (toll) the deadline while a related criminal prosecution is pending, which often extends the time a crime victim has to file. Confirm your specific deadline with a lawyer quickly.
Is Michael Haggard licensed to practice in Georgia?
Mr. Haggard is licensed in Florida, not in Georgia. 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 Georgia 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 Georgia.
How does Georgia decide if a property owner is liable?
Georgia tightened its negligent-security standard with a 2025 statute (SB 68); liability now turns heavily on prior similar incidents or specific warnings, and fault is apportioned to the perpetrator. 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.