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When Crime Takes a Life, Civil Justice Can Still Be Served.
Violent crime devastates families. When property owners, employers, or businesses could have prevented the tragedy, we pursue civil claims to hold them accountable and secure compensation for your family.
Beyond the Criminal: Third-Party Liability
While the person who committed the crime is primarily responsible, they often have no assets or insurance. Third parties—property owners, employers, businesses—may share liability if their negligence created the conditions that allowed the crime to occur.
Key legal principle: If a crime was reasonably foreseeable—based on prior criminal activity, the nature of the location, or other factors—and a third party failed to take reasonable precautions, they may be liable for the resulting death.
When Third Parties Share Responsibility
We investigate to identify all parties who may be liable for a crime-related death.
Negligent Security →
Property owners who fail to provide adequate security in high-crime areas—apartments, parking lots, hotels.
Premises Liability
Businesses and landlords who knew about crime risks and failed to protect visitors and tenants.
Employer Liability
When employees commit crimes in the course of employment or employers fail to screen dangerous employees.
Dram Shop Claims
Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to obviously intoxicated persons who then commit violent acts.
Civil Justice vs. Criminal Prosecution
Criminal Case
- Prosecuted by the state
- Beyond reasonable doubt standard
- Victim family has no control
- No compensation to family
- Only targets the perpetrator
Civil Lawsuit
- Brought by the victim's family
- Preponderance of evidence standard
- Family controls the case
- Provides financial compensation
- Can target third parties too
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. While the criminal is primarily responsible, civil claims often target third parties who had a duty to prevent the crime. Property owners with inadequate security, employers who hired dangerous employees, and businesses that overserved alcohol can all be held liable when their negligence contributed to a foreseeable crime.
Negligent security occurs when a property owner fails to take reasonable security measures to protect against foreseeable crime. If a location has a history of criminal activity and the owner fails to provide adequate lighting, cameras, security personnel, or controlled access, they may be liable for crimes that occur there.
No. Criminal and civil cases are separate. You can file a wrongful death lawsuit regardless of whether the perpetrator is arrested, charged, or convicted. The civil burden of proof (preponderance of evidence) is lower than the criminal standard (beyond reasonable doubt). O.J. Simpson was famously found liable in civil court after acquittal in criminal court.
That's exactly why third-party liability claims are important. The criminal often has no assets or insurance, but negligent property owners, employers, and businesses carry liability insurance. We identify all potentially liable parties with the ability to pay—the criminal's insolvency doesn't bar your recovery from others.
Any intentional killing—murder, manslaughter, assault and battery causing death—can support a wrongful death claim. We also handle deaths from: robbery-homicides, domestic violence, shootings, hit-and-run drivers, DUI crashes, sexual assaults resulting in death, and other violent crimes where third-party negligence contributed.
Civil lawsuits serve different purposes than criminal prosecution. A wrongful death lawsuit can: provide financial compensation for your family, hold negligent third parties accountable, force businesses to improve security, create a public record of what happened, and give your family a sense of closure and justice.
The Criminal May Be Judgment-Proof. Others May Not Be.
We investigate every crime-related death to identify third parties who share responsibility. Contact us for a confidential consultation.
No Fee Unless We Win