Negligent Security Lawyer in Plano

Former Prosecutors. Real Estate Law Insight. Trial-Tested Results.

When a criminal act injures someone on another person’s property, the path to accountability often runs through the property owner. Zen Law Firm is based in Plano and handles negligent security claims as part of our premises liability and personal injury practice. Founding attorney Jason A. Zendeh Del prosecuted thousands of criminal cases for the State of Texas and holds advanced training in real estate law, including project development, commercial leasing, and property management. That combination gives us a direct analytical edge on the two questions that drive these claims: what happened, and who controlled the property when it did.

We represent clients throughout Collin and Denton Counties. If you were attacked, robbed, or otherwise harmed on someone else’s property in the Plano area, we can evaluate whether a civil claim against the owner or manager is warranted.

Call our negligent security attorneys today at (469) 361-8561 for a consultation. There’s no cost to speak with us about what happened.

What Negligent Security Means Under Texas Law

Negligent security is a form of premises liability. Property owners in Texas owe a legal duty to protect invitees, customers, tenants, and guests, from foreseeable dangers posed by third parties, including criminal actors. When an owner or manager fails to take reasonable precautions and someone is harmed as a result, a negligent security claim may arise. The term appears in Texas case law interchangeably as inadequate security or lack of security.

Claims typically follow incidents such as assaults, robberies, shootings, or sexual attacks. The central question isn’t whether a crime occurred. It’s whether the property owner could have reasonably anticipated it and failed to act.

Properties Where These Incidents Commonly Occur

Negligent security incidents happen wherever there is high foot traffic and limited oversight. Common locations in the Plano area include:

• Apartment complexes: Broken entry gates, malfunctioning locks, and poorly lit parking areas create foreseeable risk for residents.
• Parking lots and garages: Inadequate lighting and absent surveillance make these frequent sites of robbery and assault.
• Hotels and motels: Unsecured side entrances, non-functional cameras, and absent security staff expose guests to harm.
• Bars, nightclubs, and restaurants: Without adequate crowd control and trained personnel, violence can escalate quickly.
• Retail and commercial properties: Shopping centers with documented crime histories may face liability when they fail to take corrective steps.

The Four Elements of a Negligent Security Claim

To recover compensation, an injured party must establish duty, breach, causation, and damages. Foreseeability is the linchpin. If a property had a documented history of criminal activity and the owner took no corrective action, that history becomes powerful evidence that harm was foreseeable and preventable.

Evidence in these cases includes police reports of prior incidents, maintenance records, notices to property management, witness statements, and surveillance footage. Jason A. Zendeh Del’s background as a former prosecutor shapes how we build and evaluate that evidence from the start of a case.

Why Zen Law Firm for Your Negligent Security Claim

Jason A. Zendeh Del prosecuted cases with the Fort Bend County and Tarrant County District Attorney’s Offices, handling thousands of criminal matters and hundreds of trials for the State of Texas. He was selected twice to attend the National Advocacy Center, a joint venture of the National District Attorneys Association and the U.S. Department of Justice reserved for top trial attorneys. That prosecutorial experience means we understand how criminal evidence is gathered, evaluated, and challenged, which directly informs how we build a civil case rooted in a criminal incident.

His real estate law training adds a second layer of analytical depth specific to these claims. Evaluating ownership structures, lease agreements, and maintenance responsibilities requires the kind of knowledge that comes from studying how properties are actually run. Insurance companies and defense attorneys track which firms take cases to trial. A demonstrated trial record can affect how a claim is valued.

Track Record in Premises Liability Cases

Jason A. Zendeh Del holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell in both Criminal Law and Litigation, has been recognized as a Super Lawyer every year since 2022 (Rising Star 2015–2021), and has been named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 every year from 2014 to the present. He is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Zen Law Firm has secured a seven-figure recovery in a personal injury matter and multiple six-figure results in premises liability cases. Past outcomes don’t guarantee future results, but they reflect the seriousness with which we pursue every claim.

Compensation Available in a Negligent Security Case

Recoverable damages may include medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of consortium. In wrongful death cases, surviving spouses, children, and parents may also recover funeral and burial costs, loss of companionship, and the deceased’s lost earning capacity under the Texas Wrongful Death Act.

Punitive damages may be available when a property owner knew of serious security risks and willfully ignored them. Texas law caps punitive awards under Tex. Civ. Prac. and Rem. Code section 41.008. The value of any individual claim depends on the severity of injuries, the extent of financial losses, and the specific circumstances of the incident.

Talk to a Plano Negligent Security Attorney

If you or a family member was harmed on someone else’s property in the Plano area, the time to act is now. Evidence degrades, surveillance footage gets overwritten, and Texas’s two-year statute of limitations for premises liability claims moves quickly. Zen Law Firm serves clients throughout Collin and Denton Counties and is ready to review your situation.

Call us at (469) 361-8561 or reach out through our online contact form to schedule a consultation with our negligent security attorneys.