Can I Sue for Being Shot or Stabbed in Philadelphia?

Can I sue for being shot or stabbed in Philadelphia?

Often, yes. If you were shot or stabbed on a Philadelphia 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, Pennsylvania 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.

Philadelphia negligent-security law — the short version

Philadelphia cases are governed by Pennsylvania law. Pennsylvania applies Restatement §344 — owners must guard against foreseeable third-party crime, shown mainly by prior similar incidents. A negligent-security lawsuit here is generally filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (First Judicial District of Pennsylvania). For the full Pennsylvania standard — deadlines, how fault is shared, and what you can recover — see our Pennsylvania negligent security page.

Public safety in Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s gun violence has fallen dramatically — the city recorded its fewest homicides in decades in 2025, and shootings dropped by roughly a third from 2023 to 2024. Violence remains geographically concentrated, though: a handful of neighborhoods still account for a disproportionate share of shootings. A negligent-security case rests on the record of prior crime at the specific property, and whether the owner had reason to know of the danger.

Where these cases happen in Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, these claims commonly arise in and around late-night bars and restaurants and their parking areas, apartment and multi-unit residential buildings, parking garages and lots, convenience and retail stores, and SEPTA stations and vehicles. Historically higher-incidence areas include parts of North Philadelphia, Kensington, and adjacent districts — though many have seen large recent declines.

Good to know in Philadelphia

A Philadelphia negligent-security case is filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, part of Pennsylvania’s First Judicial District — a venue widely regarded as favorable to injured plaintiffs. Proper venue requires the incident or the defendant to have a genuine Philadelphia connection.

Deadlines for a Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia crime victims and their families with no fee unless we win.

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.