Frisco Negligent Security Lawyer

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Frisco is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, packed with shopping centers along the Dallas North Tollway, entertainment venues near the Star District, apartment complexes, hotels, and restaurants that draw thousands of visitors every day. Most people who visit those places assume they are safe. But when a property owner fails to provide reasonable security, that assumption can be shattered in an instant. If you were assaulted, robbed, or otherwise harmed because a business or property owner did not take basic steps to protect you, Texas law may give you the right to hold that owner accountable. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, based in Denton and serving the greater North Texas area, helps victims of negligent security pursue the compensation they deserve. Call us today at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation.

Table of Contents

What Negligent Security Means Under Texas Law

Negligent security is a form of premises liability. It holds property owners responsible when a foreseeable criminal act injures someone on their property because the owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent it. The claim does not require the property owner to have committed the crime. It requires showing that the owner knew or should have known that criminal activity was a real risk and did nothing meaningful about it.

Texas courts established the core standard for these claims in Timberwalk Apartments, Partners, Inc. v. Cain, 972 S.W.2d 749 (Tex. 1998). That ruling confirmed that a property owner who controls premises has a duty to use ordinary care to protect invitees from criminal acts of third parties when the owner knows or has reason to know of an unreasonable and foreseeable risk of harm.

Foreseeability is the critical legal question. Texas courts look at four factors: the proximity of prior crimes to the property, how recently and how often those crimes occurred, whether the earlier crimes were similar in nature, and how widely publicized the criminal activity was. A parking garage near the Frisco Square area with a history of vehicle break-ins, for example, could be a property where an assault was foreseeable if the owner took no action to add lighting, cameras, or security patrols.

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 75, property owners generally do not owe a duty of care to trespassers. However, that protection does not extend to invited guests, customers, tenants, or other lawful visitors. If you had a legal right to be on the property where you were harmed, you likely qualify as an invitee, and the owner owed you a meaningful duty of care.

Working with personal injury lawyers who understand how Texas courts analyze foreseeability is essential to building a strong negligent security claim from the start.

Where Negligent Security Incidents Happen in Frisco

Negligent security incidents are not limited to high-crime areas. They happen wherever property owners fail to match their security measures to the actual risk on their premises. In Frisco, that risk shows up in specific types of locations that attract large numbers of people.

Apartment complexes along major corridors like Preston Road or Eldorado Parkway are common settings for these claims. Tenants and their guests are invitees. When management ignores broken gate locks, removes working security cameras, or cuts lighting in stairwells and parking lots, the risk of robbery or assault rises sharply.

Retail areas near the Stonebriar Centre mall and the entertainment venues clustered around the Star at Frisco generate significant foot traffic, especially at night. Parking structures and surface lots in those areas can become dangerous when owners fail to maintain adequate lighting or provide any security presence.

Hotels along the Dallas North Tollway corridor have a duty to protect guests from foreseeable criminal acts. A hotel that has received multiple police calls for theft or assault in a short period and still does nothing to improve security could face liability if a guest is later harmed.

Bars and nightclubs operating near the Frisco Square development or along Main Street are also frequent sites of assault claims. A business that overserves patrons and then fails to manage foreseeable altercations in its parking lot may face both a negligent security claim and a dram shop liability argument under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 2.02.

Gas stations, convenience stores, and ATM locations with documented histories of robbery are another category. If the owner had police reports or crime data showing prior incidents and still provided no security camera coverage or lighting, a subsequent robbery victim has a strong foundation for a claim.

What You Must Prove to Win a Negligent Security Case in Texas

Winning a negligent security case requires proving four core elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Each one must be supported by evidence, and the burden rests on you as the injured party.

Duty is established by your legal status on the property. Customers, tenants, and guests are invitees. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care under Texas law, which includes an obligation to inspect the premises and protect against known or foreseeable dangers, including criminal activity.

Breach means the owner failed to take reasonable steps to address a foreseeable risk. Broken security cameras, burned-out parking lot lights, malfunctioning gate locks, no on-site security staff, and ignored police reports of prior crimes are all examples of a breach. The Texas Supreme Court’s ruling in Del Lago Partners, Inc. v. Smith, 307 S.W.3d 762 (Tex. 2010), confirmed that a duty can arise even without a long history of prior crimes if the circumstances immediately before the incident made the risk obvious and the owner failed to act.

Causation means the owner’s failure was a direct cause of your injury. If the property had functioning cameras and proper lighting, the attacker may have been deterred or identified, and the harm may have been avoided. Causation links the owner’s inaction to your specific harm.

Damages include your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and any long-term disability. Texas law allows victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages in these cases.

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.013 applies proportionate responsibility rules. If a jury finds you were partially at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of responsibility. You can still recover as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50 percent. This is why documenting everything immediately after an incident matters so much.

Evidence That Builds a Strong Negligent Security Claim

Evidence is the backbone of any negligent security case. Gathering it quickly is critical because surveillance footage is often deleted within days, and witnesses’ memories fade fast.

Police reports of prior criminal activity at or near the property are among the most powerful pieces of evidence. They show the owner had notice of a crime risk and document whether the owner took any corrective action. Frisco Police Department reports and Collin County court records can both be sources of this data.

Surveillance footage from the incident itself, and from prior incidents, can show the condition of the property’s security systems and whether cameras were operational. If a property had cameras that were broken or pointed the wrong way, that footage gap can actually support your claim by showing the owner failed to maintain basic security infrastructure.

Maintenance records reveal whether the owner inspected and repaired lighting, locks, and access control systems. Staff communications, including emails or text messages about prior complaints, can show the owner knew about the problem and ignored it.

Security industry standards and expert testimony help the jury understand what a reasonable property owner in a similar setting should have done. A security expert can testify that a hotel with a documented robbery history in Frisco should have employed on-site security staff or installed a monitored camera system.

Witness statements from other tenants, employees, or bystanders who saw the attack or who can speak to the general conditions on the property add credibility to your account. Gather contact information from anyone present as soon as you are able after the incident.

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 93.001 gives property owners an affirmative defense if the injured party was committing a felony that was the sole cause of the harm. Documenting that you were lawfully on the property and did nothing to provoke the attack protects your claim against that defense.

Why Frisco Victims Need a Denton-Based Attorney for These Claims

Frisco sits in both Collin County and Denton County, depending on the specific location of the incident. Cases filed in Denton County are heard at the Tim O’Hare Courts Building in Denton, while Collin County cases are handled at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney. Knowing which court applies to your case affects filing deadlines, local rules, and procedural strategy from day one.

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 sets a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including negligent security cases. That clock starts on the date of the incident. Missing that deadline means losing your right to recover compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your evidence is.

Property owners and their insurance carriers respond to these claims aggressively. They hire their own investigators, preserve evidence selectively, and often attempt to shift blame to the victim. Having an attorney who acts quickly, sends preservation letters to prevent the deletion of footage, and retains independent security experts levels the playing field.

Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys serves clients throughout the Frisco area from our Denton office. We handle negligent security claims, along with related matters involving premises liability and serious personal injury. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in Texas. Past results in any case do not guarantee the same outcome in another matter, as each case depends on its own facts and applicable law. We offer free consultations with no obligation, and we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Call us at (940) 800-2500 or reach out online to tell us what happened.

FAQs About Frisco Negligent Security Claims

Can I sue a property owner if a third party attacked me on their premises?

Yes, under Texas premises liability law, you can pursue a claim against a property owner if you can show that the criminal attack was foreseeable and the owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent it. The Texas Supreme Court confirmed in Timberwalk Apartments v. Cain that property owners owe a duty to protect invitees from foreseeable criminal acts. You do not need to sue the attacker separately to recover from the property owner, though you may have claims against both parties.

What types of properties are most commonly involved in negligent security cases in Frisco?

Apartment complexes, hotels, parking garages, bars and nightclubs, retail shopping centers, and convenience stores are the most common settings for negligent security claims in the Frisco area. Any commercial property that invites the public onto its premises and fails to address a known crime risk can potentially face liability. High-traffic areas near the Star District, Stonebriar Centre, and the Dallas North Tollway corridor are locations where these incidents occur with some regularity.

How long do I have to file a negligent security lawsuit in Texas?

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 gives you two years from the date of the incident to file a personal injury lawsuit, including a negligent security claim. This deadline is firm. Waiting too long can also result in the loss of critical evidence, such as surveillance footage that may be automatically overwritten within days or weeks of the incident. Contact an attorney as soon as possible after the attack.

What if the property owner argues that I was partially at fault for what happened?

Texas follows a proportionate responsibility system under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33. If a jury finds that you shared some responsibility for the incident, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. You can still recover compensation as long as your share of fault is 50 percent or less. If the property owner bears the greater share of responsibility, you are entitled to recover the remaining portion of your damages from them.

What damages can I recover in a Frisco negligent security case?

Victims in negligent security cases can pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical expenses, future medical costs, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or permanent disability, the total value of a claim can be substantial. Every case is different, and the amount recoverable depends on the specific facts, the severity of your injuries, and the applicable law.

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