HOUSTON – The Button Law Firm has filed a lawsuit against a property owner, WCB Apartments, LLC and a property management company, Great Prosperity Equities, Inc., after a father, Francisco Pineda, was killed during an attempted robbery while taking out the trash at the complex he lived in, Woodcreek on the Bayou. It was January 3, 2017, and Mr. Pineda had just had dinner with his wife and two daughters. At around 8 P.M. that evening, two men drove a truck through the broken and open vehicle access gates and circled the dark parking lot looking to rob someone. As the men entered the parking lot, Mr. Pineda was headed out of his apartment to throw the trash away in the apartment complex’s dumpster. One man got out of the passenger side of the vehicle with the intent to rob Mr. Pineda. The man then shot Mr. Pineda and fled as his accomplice drove the getaway vehicle out of the apartment complex’s parking lot and exited through the broken vehicle access gates.
What Went Wrong at This Houston Texas Apartment Complex?
Reasonable safety features and property maintenance could have prevented the death of this innocent man. The property owner and property management company failed to take reasonable steps to keep its tenants safe, despite the pattern of crime occurring on the property and in the immediate vicinity. The petition filed by The Button Law Firm states that the immediate vicinity of the apartment complex had a history of aggravated robbery and assault with the use of firearms. According to the petition, service calls and incident reports from the Houston Police Department revealed the prevalence of crime in the neighborhood.
The parking lot of this property was poorly lit, not properly secured, and not adequately surveilled. The dumpster area was without adequate lighting, leaving it very dark. The apartment complex did not install proper security equipment to deter crime, even with the presence of a clear pattern of continuing crime in the area. They failed to maintain the vehicle access gate to the parking lot, even though they were notified at least 37 times of the issue by a late-night security guard, tenants, and maintenance personnel. The apartment complex’s management hired one security guard to patrol the complex only between the hours of 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM.
According to the petition, examples of methods the apartment complex managers and owner could use to deter crime in these parking lots included “increased lighting, clear visibility, visible video surveillance equipment, functioning and secured ingress and egress vehicle access gates, and security patrol.” The petition goes on to say that these methods “are known to significantly reduce the likelihood of crime in the common areas of apartment complexes.”
To read the entire petition, click here.
How The Button Law Firm is Working to Help a Houston Family After Losing a Loved One to Negligent Security
This family has gone through unimaginable heartbreak and grief due to a careless property owner and management company creating an environment where crimes of opportunity could occur without deterrence. Mr. Pineda deserved to live – to see his daughters grow up and to spend more time with his beloved wife. But, because the apartment complex’s owner did not want to invest in keeping the tenants safe from the clear pattern of crime in the area, an innocent man died. Our team is helping this family by filing a negligent security lawsuit against the property owner.
Mr. Pineda’s two daughters had to grow up without their father. His wife had to continue on without her husband. A family’s world has been changed forever. By securing justice for this family, The Button Law Firm can hold this negligent apartment complex accountable for premises liability damages. Those damages include:
- Wrongful death – which are losses suffered by the family. Those might include loss of companionship and society, lost wages, and more.
- Survival damage – the damages suffered by the victim from the moment of his injury to his time of death. This typically includes things like the pain and suffering the victim felt from the moment of the injury up until the time of his death.
- Exemplary damage – damages caused by the property owner’s negligence and disregard for safety.
- Past medical expenses as well as funeral expenses.
How The Button Law Firm Helps Victims of Wrongful Death Due to Inadequate Security in Texas
Mr. Pineda’s death could have been prevented by the property’s owner and managers. Their negligence in not keeping their property secure and safe resulted in an unimaginable situation for an innocent family.
As inadequate security attorneys, our team works with families to get the recovery they need after a traumatic incident has happened to them or their loved ones.
Our compassionate team has handled many cases involving inadequate security and wrongful death. We know exactly what it takes to get justice for those who have lost something irreplaceable.
If you or a loved one is the victim of a negligent security case, be sure to contact our team at The Button Law Firm. We have the tools and the experience to guide you through this challenging time.
Contact us by calling (214)699-4409 or filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page. You can also reach out by starting a chat or clicking here.
