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In Personal Injury

Deadly Apartment Shooting in South Memphis at Cottonwood Apartments

Deadly Apartment Shooting in South Memphis at Cottonwood Apartments

We continue to read about apartment complex shootings in Memphis and can’t help but wonder what kind of security measures were in place at these complexes. Could a more thoughtful security plan have prevented these tragic deaths and injuries? 6 different people were killed in Memphis, TN over the weekend per reports of the Commercial Appeal.

Moreover, this all occurred over a 72 hour period. At about 5:30 pm on Sunday, the Memphis Police Department responded to a robbery call in the Cottonwood Apartments. When they arrived, the Memphis Police Department found three men with gunshot wounds. One of the victims is dead.  The other victims transported to the Med after the shooting.

COTTONWOOD APARTMENTS’ DUTY TO PROVIDE REASONABLE SECURITY

Did you know that in Memphis, TN apartment complexes usually have a duty to provide reasonable security measures?  Each case is different. In some cases, a crime victim injured on apartment complex property may be entitled to money damages from the apartment complex or its owner. Call Patterson Bray, if you … Read the rest

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August 20, 2018
In Personal Injury

Deadly Shooting at The Cobra in East Nashville, TN

Deadly Shooting at The Cobra in East Nashville, TN

Just this Friday morning, another sad incident occurred at a bar in East Nashville, TN. At approximately 3:30 am, patrons of the Cobra bar in Nashville, TN were shot in the parking lot. Jaime Sarrantonio and Bartley Teal unfortunately lost their lives as a result of this shooting East Nashville, TN and the possible negligence of the bars owners. According to news reports, the two walked to a convenience store to get some snacks. When they returned, they were shot during an apparent robbery. This is just the latest shooting East Nashville, TN to occur recently. Sadly, one of the victims had just turned 33, and this may have been prevented.

NEGLIGENT SECURITY | PUTTING PROFIT BEFORE PEOPLE

Some bars and nightclubs are quiet places where no one ever raises their voice and fights are unheard of, but others unfortunately are hotbeds for arguments and fights night after night. What if you are attacked in a bar or nightclub or what if you accidentally get hit by a fist or a … Read the rest

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August 17, 2018
In Personal Injury

Deadly apartment shooting in Antioch, TN

Deadly apartment shooting in Antioch, TN

Another deadly apartment shooting in the Nashville, TN area.

There was another apartment shooting in the Nashville area this weekend.  Local news stations report that Craig Crisp was shot during an attempted robbery at the Hickory Lakes Apartments in Antioch, Tennessee early Saturday morning.  Craig Crisp was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but, tragically he did not survive the attack.  According to news reports, authorities believe that there are two (2) suspects involved with the deadly shooting who may also be responsible for a robbery at the same complex just last weekend.

Does the victim have a claim against the apartment complex?

Maybe. There are many factors to consider. Tennessee law requires apartment complex owners and managers to take reasonable measures to protect tenants and guests from foreseeable criminal attacks. Whether the victim or his family will be able to recover against the Hickory Lakes Apartments depends on a number of factors, including how exactly the incident occurred, what security measures the apartment complex provided, and the crime levels for the apartment complex … Read the rest

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August 12, 2018
In Personal Injury

Memphis, TN Hotel Security and Shootings

Memphis, TN Hotel Security and Shootings

Violent crime isn’t limited to urban centers, or run-down properties. Areas in Shelby County, including Memphis, TN experience violent crime, often at hotels and apartment complexes.

Just recently, the Memphis Police Department responded to a shooting that occurred at an America’s Best Value Inn Suites because of poor hotel security in Memphis, TN. This is not the first incident to occur at this property. In April another fatal shooting also occurred. The Commercial Appeal reports that one man fatally shot Luther Street at the hotel and then fled the scene of the crime. The Commercial Appeal reports that the fatal shooting of Mr. Street was the third such fatal shooting at the hotel since 2016.

Crime Victim Lawyers & Hotel Security

In Tennessee, commercial property owners and managers, including hotel owners and managers, must take reasonable measures to protect guests from foreseeable criminal attacks. The victim of a fatal shooting, or his or her family, like the one that occurred in Whitehaven may have a claim against the hotel. Whether the victim would be … Read the rest

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August 10, 2018
In Personal Injury

Deadly Shooting at The Park at Hermitage Apartments in Nashville, TN

Deadly Shooting at The Park at Hermitage Apartments in Nashville, TN

Crime at Nashville, TN apartment complexes continues.

Just this week, a man was shot in the back at a pool at The Park at Hermitage Apartments near Old Hickory Boulevard, just south of Interstate 40, in Nashville, TN. According to the news we’re reading, witnesses say that two men wearing dark clothing and masks approached victims at the apartment’s pool. The gunmen tried to rob the group and shots were fired. According to News Channel 5 in Nashville, TN, the victim was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with critical injuries.

Does the victim have a claim against the apartment complex where he got shot?

Maybe. There are many factors to consider. In Tennessee, apartment complex owners and managers must take reasonable measures to protect tenants and guests from foreseeable criminal attacks. Whether the victim would be able to recover against the The Park at Hermitage Apartments depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the facts of how the incident occurred, security measures provided at … Read the rest

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July 26, 2018
In Auto Accident, General, Personal Injury

Injured by a USPS driver? You might be able to sue the USPS.

Injured by a USPS driver? You might be able to sue the USPS.

Claims against the postal service can be tricky because the law with respect to these types of claims is unique.  Unfortunately, injured parties cannot simply file a lawsuit against postal service like you would against any other negligent driver.  Instead, you must comply with the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”).  Running afoul of the FTCA might negatively affect your rights.  As such, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer Memphis trusts to help you navigate this unique area of law.

A brief history on suits against the federal government

Years ago, people could not even sue the federal government based on the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity, which is basically lawyer-talk for the notion that the government has to give you permission to sue it.  Stated differently, the federal government has to waive its sovereign immunity and consent to being sued.  Thankfully, Congress did just that by passing the Federal Tort Claims Act in 1946. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346, 2671-2680.

Specifically, the FTCA allows suit against the … Read the rest

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July 24, 2018
In Civil Litigation, Personal Injury

Tow Truck Driver Shot at Eden at Watersedge Apartments and Townhomes in Memphis, TN

Tow Truck Driver Shot at Eden at Watersedge Apartments and Townhomes in Memphis, TN

Crime at Memphis apartment complexes continues.

Just this morning, a tow truck driver was shot in the head through the window of his truck at the Eden at Watersedge Apartments and Townhomes near Fox Meadows on South Mendenhall Road. According to the news we’re reading, witnesses heard four gunshots ring out before calling 911. When police arrived, they found the driver inside of the tow truck unconscious. Officers had to break out a window of the truck to get inside. According to WMC Action News 5 in Memphis, the victim was identified as 28-year-old Darrell Adams and he was checking for parking violations at the apartment complex when he was shot.

Does the Victim (Tow Truck Driver, Darrell Adams) have a claim against the apartment complex where he got shot?

Maybe. There are many factors to consider. In Tennessee, apartment complex owners and managers must take reasonable measures to protect tenants and guests from foreseeable criminal attacks. Whether Mr. Adams would be able to recover against … Read the rest

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May 2, 2017
In Auto Accident, Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury

Top 10 Social Media Tips for Personal Injury Victims From Personal Injury Lawyer Memphis, TN Counts On!

Tips for Personal Injury Victims From Patterson Bray

It seems that everyone is on Facebook or some other type of social media these days. Many people are even addicted to it. If you have a Memphis, TN car wreck or personal injury claim, you should carefully consider the impact your social media posts could have on your case and the ultimate settlement or verdict you receive.  As an experienced personal injury lawyer Memphis TN knows and trusts, I can tell you that insurance companies and defense attorneys, as part of their evaluation of you and your case, perform social media account investigation. They will pull up your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media accounts to see if they can gather useful information about you, your activities, and the extent of your injuries.  We at Patterson Bray put together the following social media tips for personal injury victims.

Personal Injury Social Media Tips

  1. Archive the content of current accounts. Destruction of potential evidence may create bigger problems than the information itself, so it is important that you do not delete
… Read the rest Continue Reading
February 1, 2017
In Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Uncategorized

Misinformation about malpractice litigation in Tennessee

Misinformation about malpractice litigation in Tennessee

Our friend John Day posted an informative blog post about Misinformation About Malpractice Litigation in Tennessee. John points out:

[an article] purports to list the number of filings per state per 100,000 residents and ranks Tennesseans as the 5th highest filers of malpractice lawsuits – at the rate of 33 per 100,000 people.  That would mean that Tennesseans file about 2145 such lawsuits per year (we have a little over 6,500,000 people living here).

But that number is wrong.  Information compiled by Tennessee’s Administrative Office of the Courts demonstrates that there were 374 medical malpractice suits filed in 2013-2014 and 356 suits filed in 2014-2015. (Data is kept on a July 1 – June 30 fiscal year; 2015-2016 data is not yet publicly available). My guess is that the number of suits filed in all of 2015 was down from what it was in fiscal year 2014-2015, but even assuming that it was the same (356), the rate of filed suits was less than 5.5 per 100,000.  That simply didn’t happen.

Lesson: Don’t … Read the rest

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January 16, 2017
In Personal Injury

Mall Security in Memphis- Oak Court Mall and Wolfchase Mall Incidents

Malls in Memphis Should Add Private Security, Says Memphis Police Director Rallings

Do you ever shop at shopping malls in Memphis?

According to the Commercial Appeal, Memphis Police Director, Michael Rallings, said that malls in Memphis depend too much on the short-staffed Memphis Police Department and should instead add private security. Director Rallings also issued this warning to parents who drop off unsupervised children and teenagers to roam about at malls: “It’s not our job to raise your children. That’s your job.”

Our firm handles negligent security cases, and what Director Rallings speaks of is absolutely in line with what Tennessee law requires of commercial property owners. In our state, a commercial property owner, like a store or shopping mall, must provide reasonable security to its customers. What is reasonable? That’s ultimately up to a jury to decide after hearing evidence about crime history, neighborhood statistics, etc., but it sure sounds like Director Rallings believes that Memphis shopping malls can and should provide better security that what presently exists.  For the sake of the citizens of Memphis, we hope area … Read the rest

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January 4, 2017