The Haggard Law Firm’s Michael Haggard and Adam Finkel secured a $4 Million Settlement in a negligent security wrongful death case involving a father of three.
Late in the evening of June 19, 2020, into the morning of June 20, Dishawn Reynolds-El drove to The Abbey apartments in Riviera Beach, Florida to meet with his girlfriend. They chose The Abbey at Northlake Apartments, as Dishawn’s girlfriend’s daughter lived there. After meeting up, they left the complex but later returned to drop Dishawn’s girlfriend off at her car. They did not know that Dishawn’s girlfriend’s husband was waiting for them. An argument ensued and ultimately the husband, Terrance Bythwood, shot and killed Dishawn.
He is survived by a middle school-aged daughter, a high school senior son, and an adult son.
Haggard and Finkel filed suit against the owners and managers of the apartment complex, alleging that they failed to implement reasonably necessary security measures that would have prevented Dishawn’s death. Specifically, the front gates to the complex were broken and there were no guards patrolling at the time of the shooting.
Attorneys for The Abbey rejected these arguments and highlighted the hiring of three courtesy officers to live and work on the property, and that there had been no shootings or stabbings in the last several years. Additionally, during the pendency of this civil case, Bythwood pled guilty to manslaughter and later testified in this civil case that Dishawn was the aggressor. Further, as Dishawn was not invited to enter the property by his girlfriend’s daughter, the defense argued that he was a trespasser, and therefore the property owners and managers did not owe him a reasonable duty of care.
Days before trial was set to begin, the defense agreed to pay $4 Million Dollars to settle the wrongful death claim.
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