The death of a young female college student at the hands of her apartment complex maintenance worker has caused her family to push for better apartment security. The family is doing so through a Florida wrongful death suit as well as a proposed bill with the state legislature. If passed, the proposed bill could have important effects on 2.8 million Floridians – or 35% of the state’s population – who reside in apartments.
The Tragedy
The cause of the young woman’s death was pronounced as a homicide by “undetermined means” by the coroner, according to a CNN report. Florida law enforcement reported that a maintenance worker who had a criminal record killed a 19-year-old female college student. According to authorities, the student reportedly complained to her apartment complex’s management that his unsolicited sexual commentaries made her feel uncomfortable. Florida police say that the woman’s attacker used a master key fob to get access to the 19-year-old’s apartment on the day that she died. A few days after her disappearance, the maintenance worker committed suicide. Law enforcement later found the victim’s body near the maintenance worker’s old residence.
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A month after the young woman’s murder, her surviving family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Florida court alleging negligent security—a type of premises liability—as well as negligent hiring, and negligent retention. The family alleges that the apartment complex employing the maintenance worker ignored the signs that he may pose a threat to residents, particularly given the victim’s compliant and that another female resident at another complex where he was previously employed also complained about unwanted sexual advances. In addition to his history, the maintenance worker’s unfettered access to apartments due to a master key fob was also unreasonable. In many apartment complexes across the nation, workers are allowed master keys to allow for various maintenance issues. The victim’s family claims that access to apartments without proper oversight and in the hands of the wrong workers is extremely dangerous.
The Proposed Bill and Foundation
The victim’s family created a foundation in honor of their loved one, which is collaborating with two state senators on a bill that would codify Florida apartments’ associations best practices on employee hiring and access protocols. The proposed bill would:
- Mandate background checks for all apartment employees, including a national screening on a potential employee’s criminal history as well as sexual offender and predator registries;
- Require checks for violent criminal offenses or those involving a disregard for the safety of others and allow landlords to disqualify applicants from employment who have a criminal history;
- Change requirements on when and how workers can gain access to renters’ apartments, including providing longer advanced notice and maintaining logs for who has access to master keys and how they are issued and returned.
Nevada Injury Attorneys
If you are hurt in Nevada due to a landlord’s negligent security or their failure to maintain safe conditions on the premises, our experienced attorneys at H&P Law can help you. Let our skilled personal injury attorneys fight for the monetary compensation you or your loved deserve under applicable law. Contact us today.
