Families File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Dollar General After Racially-Motivated Shooting
The families of three Black customers have filed wrongful death lawsuits against Dollar General and the gunman’s parents after a racially motivated shooting took the lives of three people in Jacksonville, Florida. The lawsuit has been filed in Florida and accuses the discount retail chain of negligence on the grounds of negligent security. The plaintiffs accuse Dollar General of failing to provide security to keep their customers and employees safe. The suit also accuses the gunman’s family of failing to stop their son from committing a violent hate crime. The plaintiffs contend that the family could have reasonably foreseen that their son was capable of committing such a heinous act.
According to the lawsuit, there was no security guard on duty at the time of the shooting. The plaintiffs accuse the retail outlet of “putting profits over people.” The plaintiffs contend that having a security guard on duty would have made all the difference in the world. They also allege that Dollar General failed to hire security even though it was in a high-crime area.
According to reports, the killer went on an 11-minute shooting rampage wearing a tactical vest and carrying a Glock handgun with an AR-15-style weapon marked with a swastika.
Elements of negligence in a negligent security lawsuit
A negligent security lawsuit is a type of premises liability lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleges they were injured because of a property owner’s failure to secure the premises. Every proprietor and property owner has a duty of care to ensure their guests are safe from harm. When they fail in that duty of care, they can be held liable through a civil lawsuit making specific allegations. The plaintiff must be able to establish that the proprietor knew that there was a potential threat to customers. This is generally established by proving that other violent incidents occurred on the property, or that there were crimes committed in the area around the property. In that manner, a plaintiff can establish that the threat to customers was foreseeable.
In this case, the plaintiffs are alleging that Dollar General failed to have security on staff during the shooting and that they should have known better because the store was situated in a high-crime area.
Wrongful death lawsuits and negligent security
Retailers are often sued when a shooting occurs on their property. Plaintiffs in these cases assert various allegations of negligence generally arguing that inadequate security created an unreasonable risk to customers. Walmart and other major retailers have been sued across the country for wrongful death after shootings occurred on their premises. In these cases, the victims claimed that efforts to protect customers did not go far enough and resulted in avoidable deaths.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Premises Liability Lawyer Today
The Matassini Law Firm represents the interests of Tampa plaintiffs who have been injured on the premises of a store, restaurant, or other public business. Call our Tampa personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation, and we can begin discussing your case and injuries right away.
