Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Pennsylvania?
Often, yes. Pennsylvania 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, Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania decides if a crime was “foreseeable”
Pennsylvania follows Restatement (Second) of Torts § 344: an owner who holds property open to the public can be liable for harm from third-party criminal acts if it failed to use reasonable care to discover that such acts were likely and to guard against them. Foreseeability is shown chiefly through prior similar incidents and whether the owner had reason to know of the risk (Moran v. Valley Forge).
Deadlines in Pennsylvania
- 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: you recover, reduced by your fault, only if your fault is not greater than the defendant’s.
What you can recover
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania crime victims and their families with no fee unless we win.
Negligent security in Pennsylvania cities
We handle Pennsylvania negligent-security cases statewide. If your case happened in one of these cities, start here:
- Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Philadelphia?
- Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Pittsburgh?
How we handle a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania cases as co-counsel with a locally licensed Pennsylvania attorney, seeking admission pro hac vice (for the individual case) where the court’s rules permit. Any Pennsylvania matter would be handled together with local counsel admitted in Pennsylvania.
If you were shot, stabbed, or lost a loved one to a preventable crime in Pennsylvania, you can still reach out to us directly. We will review your case for free and, where appropriate, associate with a qualified Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Often, yes. If you were shot on a Pennsylvania 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. Pennsylvania applies Restatement §344 — owners must guard against foreseeable third-party crime, shown mainly by prior similar incidents. A free case review will tell you whether you have a claim.
Can I sue if I was stabbed on someone's property in Pennsylvania?
Possibly. A stabbing on a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
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 Pennsylvania?
Mr. Haggard is licensed in Florida, not in Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.
How does Pennsylvania decide if a property owner is liable?
Pennsylvania applies Restatement §344 — owners must guard against foreseeable third-party crime, shown mainly by prior similar incidents. 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.