Find a negligent security lawyer in Fort Worth: what makes a property owner responsible
In Texas, a Fort Worth property owner owes a security duty only when a crime was both unreasonably risky and foreseeable. Courts look at nearby past crimes, so the city's One Address tool is a good first check. You generally have 2 years to sue. Apply to the state victim fund within 3 years.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (36)
When is a property owner responsible for an attack in Fort Worth?
Not every crime leads to a claim. Texas says a duty exists only when the risk of crime is so great that it is both unreasonable and foreseeable. Courts weigh five things about past crimes. Fort Worth has public tools that can help you check each one.
| What courts look at | How to check it in Fort Worth |
|---|---|
| How close past crimes were | Enter the address in One Address, which shows crime information for a location |
| How recent they were | One Address data is updated weekly |
| How often they happened | The city's Crime Data Map |
| How similar they were | An open records request for that area and time span |
| Whether the public knew | News reports, resident complaints and prior police calls |
These tools have limits. Crime data is shown only down to the hundred block, and most sexual offenses and crimes involving people under 18 are not mapped. A lawyer can ask the police for more detail.
What security must a Fort Worth apartment complex provide?
Fort Worth has its own crime prevention standards for apartment complexes, on top of state law.
- Exterior lights at building entrances and individual units.
- A broken exterior light fixed within seven days of notice.
- Posted signs with a 24-hour emergency number. Violent crime counts as an emergency under that rule.
- Security gates with a manual override.
- Under state law, a keyless bolt and door viewer on each exterior door, and repair of a security device once you tell the landlord.
Managers and leasing agents at complexes with eight or more units must take Crime Free Multi-Housing training within six months of being hired. Ask whether the staff did. The rule against ignoring safety is stronger where a landlord keeps control of security. Breaking a city code does not decide your case, but it can help show the owner knew or should have known.
What should I do after being attacked at a Fort Worth property?
- Call 911. For a non-emergency report later, Fort Worth Police is at 817-392-4222.
- Get medical care. JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist are Level I trauma centers.
- Take photos of broken lights, locks, gates and cameras before they are fixed.
- Ask the property in writing to save its video. It can be recorded over quickly.
- Call Fort Worth Police Victim Assistance at 817-392-4390. If the Sheriff handled it, call 817-884-3697.
- Write down who attacked you, or what you remember about them, while it is fresh.
Who pays for my bills after an assault in Fort Worth?
| Source | What to know |
|---|---|
| The property's insurer | Usually the real source of a negligent security payment |
| The attacker | Often has no money, but restitution can be ordered in the criminal case |
| Crime Victims' Compensation | Up to $50,000, within 3 years, and it pays last |
| A government owner | Written notice generally within six months, or 180 days for the City of Fort Worth |
Call the Attorney General's program at 800-983-9933. The program checks that the crime was reported to police, so make that report. The application is free and does not need a lawyer.
Can a Fort Worth property owner blame the attacker?
Yes, and it matters a great deal. A Texas owner can name an unknown criminal as a responsible party. If a jury gives most of the blame to the attacker, the owner pays only its own percentage, unless it is more than 50 percent responsible, when it can owe the whole recoverable amount. Your claim also ends if you are found more than 50 percent responsible.
That is why the proof about earlier crimes and broken security matters so much. Without it, an owner will argue the attack came out of nowhere.
What should I ask a negligent security lawyer in Fort Worth?
- Have you used One Address or police records to build one of these cases?
- Who controlled security here: the owner, a manager or a guard company?
- How will you handle the owner blaming the attacker?
- Is any government body involved, and if so, when is my notice due?
Questions
Can I sue my Fort Worth apartment complex after being robbed?
Possibly, if past crimes made it foreseeable and the landlord controlled security. Check the address on One Address.
How long do I have to file?
Generally 2 years to sue. The state victim fund needs an application within 3 years of the crime.
Does the victim fund cover me if nobody was arrested?
It confirms that a crime happened and was reported to police. Ask the fund about your facts at 800-983-9933.
Who helps crime victims in Fort Worth?
The Fort Worth Police Victim Assistance Section at 817-392-4390.
Attacked because of poor security in Fort Worth? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (36)
- Texas Supreme Court, Timberwalk Apartments v. Cain (1998), checked 2026-11-09. “A duty exists only when the risk of criminal conduct is so great that it is both unreasonable and foreseeable.”
- Fort Worth Police, Crime Data Center, checked 2026-11-09. “One Address allows you to enter one address and view a variety of data, including crime information, permits, code violations, and other city information.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “You're applying within 3 years of the crime”
- Texas Supreme Court opinion, No. 15-0197, checked 2026-11-09. “proximity, recency, frequency, similarity, and publicity”
- Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “We confirm that a crime happened and that it was reported to law enforcement.”
- Fort Worth City Code § 7-410(c), checked 2026-11-09. “In no instance shall a reasonable period of time be deemed to mean more than seven days.”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.004, checked 2026-11-09. “an unknown person committed a criminal act that was a cause of the loss or injury”
- City of Fort Worth, One Address, checked 2026-11-09. “the data has been generalized to the hundred block of the event”
- Fort Worth Police, Crime Data Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Please check out the City's Crime Data Map to view the locations of crimes reported within city limits.”
- Fort Worth Police, Crime Data Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Use this option to submit an open records request to obtain crime data/statistics for a specific area and timeframe.”
- Fort Worth Police, Crime Data Center, checked 2026-11-09. “certain crimes, including most sexually-oriented offenses and crimes involving juveniles (individuals under 18 years of age), are not mapped”
- City of Fort Worth, Multifamily Inspection and Registration Program, checked 2026-11-09. “three or more units under the same roof (triplexes); three or more on one lot under the same ownership”
- Fort Worth City Code § 7-410(c), checked 2026-11-09. “Exterior illumination shall be provided at appropriate points adjacent to all building entrances, including individual dwelling units.”
- Fort Worth City Code § 7-410(a), checked 2026-11-09. “a telephone number where said employees can be contacted during any 24-hour period”
- Fort Worth City Code § 7-410(a), checked 2026-11-09. “Emergency conditions shall include fire, natural disaster, flood, collapse hazard, burst pipes or violent crime”
- Fort Worth City Code § 7-410(e), checked 2026-11-09. “All security gates shall be equipped with a manual override to be used in the event of a power outage or system failure.”
- Texas Property Code 92.153, checked 2026-11-09. “a keyless bolting device and a door viewer on each exterior door of the dwelling”
- Texas Property Code 92.158, checked 2026-11-09. “a landlord shall repair or replace a security device on request or notification by the tenant”
- City of Fort Worth, Multifamily Inspection and Registration Program, checked 2026-11-09. “in a complex with eight or more units must attend an eight-hour training within six months of hire date”
- Texas Supreme Court, Timberwalk Apartments v. Cain (1998), checked 2026-11-09. “retains control over the security and safety of the premises”
- Fort Worth Police, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “To report a non-emergency 817-392-4222”
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
- Fort Worth Police, Victim Assistance, checked 2026-11-09. “505 West Felix St. Fort Worth, TX 76115 817-392-4390”
- Tarrant County Sheriff, Victim Assistance, checked 2026-11-09. “200 Taylor Street, 7th Floor Fort Worth, TX 76196 Office: 817-884-3697”
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 42.037, checked 2026-11-09. “the court that sentences a defendant convicted of an offense may order the defendant to make restitution to any victim of the offense”
- Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “The CVC Program can help cover costs up to $50,000”
- Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “this program is meant to pay only as a last option”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
- Texas Attorney General, Crime Victims' Compensation Eligibility, checked 2026-11-08. “Toll Free: (800) 983-9933”
- Texas Attorney General, Crime Victims' Compensation Eligibility, checked 2026-11-08. “The application is free, and you don't need a lawyer.”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.013, checked 2026-11-09. “only for the percentage of the damages found by the trier of fact equal to that defendant's percentage of responsibility”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.013, checked 2026-11-09. “the percentage of responsibility attributed to the defendant with respect to a cause of action is greater than 50 percent”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”