Crime Victim Questions · Answered

Who Is Liable For a Parking Lot Shooting?

Usually, the party liable for a parking-lot shooting is whoever owned or operated the lot and was responsible for its security — which can be a standalone garage operator or the attached business, such as a mall, hotel, apartment complex, or hospital. They can be held responsible if they failed to provide reasonable security against a foreseeable crime.

Crime victim attorney Michael A. Haggard
$102.7M record verdict

Possible responsible parties

  • The parking facility owner or operator
  • The attached business whose customers use the lot (mall, hotel, apartment, hospital, venue)
  • The property management company
  • Any security company hired to patrol or monitor the lot

Why parking lots create liability

Parking areas are isolated and easy targets, and owners typically know it. When a lot has poor lighting, no working cameras, no access control, and no patrols despite a crime history, a shooting there is often foreseeable — and preventable.

Sorting out who’s responsible

These cases often have more than one responsible party. We investigate who controlled the lot and its security to identify every defendant and insurance policy. The firm won a $3.9 million verdict for the family of a teen shot in an apartment parking lot. No fee unless we win.

Frequently asked questions

What if the lot was for a business I was visiting?

That business may owe a duty in the parking areas its customers use. An attack in a store, restaurant, hotel, or venue lot can support a claim against that business.

Can more than one party be liable?

Yes. Parking-lot cases frequently involve several responsible parties — the lot operator, the attached business, and a security contractor. We pursue all of them.