Understanding Prior Crimes in an Area Can Help a Notice Argument in Negligence Cases
OCTOBER 4, 2015:
For accident and injury lawyers helping those in Miami and the rest of South Florida, the ability to gather evidence prior to a lawsuit is of the utmost importance. Depending upon the type of case, the nature of the investigation differs drastically. Car accident cases certainly involve different needs than a typical slip and fall case. Similarly, maritime cases involving cruise ships entail different elements than that of a negligent security case.
Being an attorney that helps those hurt in negligence accidents, evidence gathered before filing a lawsuit is a top priority. Specifically, for negligence cases, including negligent security, obtaining police Crime Grid Reports facilitates plaintiff lawyers’ ability to satisfy their burden of proof. In general, a Crime Grid Report is a spreadsheet or database that tracks criminal incidents in a given area. Additionally, this spreadsheet separates each incident by the type of crime allegedly committed in a particular area. While each jurisdiction tracks and documents its incidents differently, every grid report can provide helpful information to prove a negligent security case.
In all negligence cases, establishing “notice” of a dangerous condition is vital. For premises liability and negligent security cases, “notice” of prior criminal incidents can help prove a plaintiff’s case. Ultimately, public records request pursuant to Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes enables any person to obtain a Crime Grid Report. Ultimately, the public records request should specify a geographical location near the subject premises, as well as narrowed down based upon the type of incident. Through this process, a prospective plaintiff and his or her attorney can determine the propensity of criminal incidents occurring at or near the defendant’s premises.
Below is a sample page from a Crime Grid Report, which specifies the type of crime, date/time of dispatch, and address of the crime.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW.
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