November 2, 2021

John Bordeau & Jenifer Svancara Win Wrongful Death Case

John Bordeau and Jenifer Svancara won summary judgment in a wrongful death case pending in Jackson County, Missouri.  The issue in the case was a landlord’s duty to protect business invitees from the criminal acts of a third party.  The Plaintiffs’ son was killed in a drive-by gunfight as the tenant’s nightclub was emptying after an event.  The event was sponsored and run by the nightclub, not the landlord.  The Court found that the landlord had no notice of the potential for violence on the night of the incident, and that the landlord had no duty to prevent the criminal acts of third parties.