Our team at Spetsas Buist Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers is proud to announce that we secured a $10,013,971.04 jury verdict on behalf of our client, who suffered catastrophic injuries after being shot four times at a Jacksonville, FL apartment complex. The case went to trial, and Nick Spetsas served as lead trial counsel. The jury returned a verdict on June 1, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the Fourth Judicial Circuit in and for Duval County, Florida.
The case involved a negligent security claim against Garamor, Inc., the owner of La Estancia Apartments property, and Kunarquen RE LLC, which is the property's management company. Following a jury trial, the jury found the defendants fully responsible for the injuries and awarded our client more than $10 million in damages.
How much compensation you receive for a negligent security jury verdict in Florida varies based on the unique circumstances of each situation and the severity of your injuries. Based on our own data on this page, the average negligent security verdict could be up to $10+ million.
A Life Nearly Lost Because of Negligent Security in Jacksonville
On August 18, 2023, our client was lawfully present at La Estancia Apartments in Jacksonville when an unknown assailant attacked him and shot him. Our client sustained four gunshot wounds to the chest. Despite his injuries, our client managed to leave the property before crashing his vehicle in front of police officers.
He was subsequently rushed to a Jacksonville trauma center in critical condition. Shortly after arriving, our client’s heart stopped, and he required an emergency open-chest resuscitation procedure in the emergency room to be revived. Medical professionals were able to manually revive our client’s heart after several minutes of cardiac arrest.
What followed was an extraordinary fight for survival on our client’s part.
To save our client’s life, he underwent four major surgeries over the course of sixteen days and subsequently remained hospitalized for twenty-nine days, including eighteen days in the intensive care unit. Although he survived, the shooting left our client with permanent and life-altering injuries that continue to affect every aspect of his daily life.
Catastrophic Injuries and Permanent Consequences
The injuries our client sustained in this shooting at the La Estancia Apartments were severe. Medical evidence that we presented during trial demonstrated that he suffered damage to multiple vital organs and internal structures, including his:
- Heart
- Diaphragm
- Stomach
- Spleen
- Lung
Our client also experienced cardiac arrest and sustained injuries to a major coronary artery. He underwent significant and multiple chest and abdominal surgeries in an effort to save his life. As a result of his injuries, our client lives with:
- Chronic daily back pain
- Ongoing chest and abdominal pain
- Post-traumatic migraines
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Permanent disfiguring scars
- Reduced mobility and physical function
- Long-term pain and suffering
The evidence we submitted on our client’s behalf showed that many of these health and chronic pain conditions are permanent and will continue to impact them for the rest of his life. We anticipate future medical treatment, including orthopedic spine and thoracic consultations, as well as possible surgeries.
How Attorney Nick Spetsas Won This Negligent Security Premises Liability Verdict Amount
This case was not about holding the unidentified shooter accountable, but rather the property owners and the property management company. After reviewing evidence and identifying liable parties, our team revealed the negligence of the property owners and managers. It is their responsibility to provide reasonably safe premises for residents and lawful visitors.
This conclusively established several key facts in the case, including:
- Negligence
- Inadequate security measures
- Foreseeability of the attack
- Causation
The defense wanted to focus the jury on the shooter, while we urged the jury to focus on why the shooter chose this particular apartment complex to commit a crime. Our argument was simple: The shooter went to this property to commit a crime for the same reason other criminals had committed violent crimes on the property.
Criminals commit crimes on properties where they think they can get away with it, properties that don’t have reasonable security measures in place. When you manage a property that attracts criminals, you make everyone in the community less safe; you strain the police and taxpayer dollars; and you destroy the value of neighboring properties. It’s irresponsible, and only the landowner benefits.
The Jury's Verdict
After hearing the evidence that we presented in court, the jury awarded our client a total of $10,013,971.04. The verdict included compensation for:
- Past medical expenses: $98,617.04
- Future medical expenses: $369,354.00
- Past pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life: $610,800.00
- Future pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life: $8,935,200.00
The Duval County jury also determined that the unidentified assailant's conduct was not a contributing legal cause for purposes of apportioning fault in the case. As a result of this decision, no fault was allocated to the shooter, and the property owner and property manager were held fully responsible for the entire jury verdict.
NOTE: The defense banked on the jury attributing fault to the shooter, but the jury was onto their game from the beginning. They understood that the criminal system punishes the shooter, and the landlord can only be held responsible via the civil system.
Why Holding Negligent Security Offenders Liable Is Important In Florida
Apartment complexes, shopping centers, hotels, parking garages, and other commercial properties have legal obligations to address known safety risks and take reasonable steps to protect those who are on their premises from foreseeable criminal attacks.
When property owners ignore foreseeable dangers, fail to implement appropriate security measures, or neglect the fact that there is known criminal activity, innocent people can suffer devastating injuries or even lose their lives. Negligent security cases in Florida often arise from incidents involving:
- Apartment complex shootings
- Assaults and batteries
- Armed robberies
- Parking lot and parking garage attacks
- Attacks at gas stations and convenience stores
- Inadequate lighting
- Broken gates or access controls
- Failure to hire or maintain security personnel
- Failure to address known criminal activity on the property
Negligent security cases are a type of premises liability under Florida law. These types of cases can be legally complex and often require:
- Extensive investigation
- Expert testimony
- Aggressive litigation
Holding negligent property owners accountable for not having safe premises can help injured victims obtain the financial compensation they need for ongoing medical care and future recovery costs. It can also force a landowner or business to clean up their property, make it safe, and act responsibly.
How Spetsas Buist Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Helps Injury Victims
The result in this case, obtained by lead trial counsel Nick Spetsas, reflects our firm's commitment to pursuing justice for people whose lives have been permanently altered by another person or party’s negligence. Catastrophic injury cases like this one frequently involve substantial medical treatment, future care needs, insurance disputes, and attempts by defendants to avoid both social and financial responsibility. Our team of Florida personal injury lawyers works diligently to build strong cases that are supported by:
- Evidence
- Medical records
- Expert analysis
- Thorough investigation
Whether a personal injury case we take on involves negligent security, a serious car accident, a trucking collision, wrongful death, or another form of personal injury, we fight tirelessly to recover compensation for all types of damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Permanent disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional pain and suffering
Every case we take is different, but our goal remains the same. We strive to help Florida injury victims pursue the compensation they deserve and hold negligent parties accountable for the harm they have caused. Most importantly, we want to make our communities safer, and that’s what negligent security cases ultimately do.