November 24, 2020
How Does Negligent Security Affect Your Premise Injury Case?
When you are robbed, beaten, raped, assaulted, or are otherwise the victim of a violent crime that takes place on someone else’s property, it is understandable that you will want to look back at the events leading up to this crime to determine what went wrong, and how this terrible situation could have been avoided. When you are a guest on someone else’s property, you have a right to expect that the property owner has taken the appropriate steps to ensure that your safety and security are addressed and that you can enjoy your visit to the property without fear of injury. In most cases, we come and go on these properties without issue; unfortunately, there are times when this is not the case.
If you have been injured on someone else’s property due to a crime such as assault, rape, robbery, or battery, then you likely have a right to seek compensation from the property owner for their failure to provide you with adequate security and safety as a guest. This type of injury creates a case known as premise liability, where you and your attorney will work to prove that the property owner failed their duty of care to keep you safe from harm, and in these particular instances, their negligent security will be a central issue.
Contact The Law Offices of Vikas Bajaj Now To Discuss Your Premise Liability Case
Our law firm offers a free initial consultation for victims of premise liabilities of all types, including injuries stemming from negligent security. When your injuries are the result of criminal behavior, it can be confusing or overwhelming to think about the fact that the property owner may also be responsible for your injuries, in addition to the criminal charges that will be levied against the individual or group that directly caused your injuries. While you are focusing on your initial recoveries, you can be certain that the property owner is partnering with their own defense attorneys to ensure that they can fight back against the lawsuit they are anticipating.
While you are recovering, the team at The Law Offices of Vikas Bajaj can start building a case to get you the compensation that you are rightfully entitled to after such a terrible and injurious experience. The first step is to reach out to our firm so that we can discuss the specifics of this situation and get a better sense of the most appropriate path forward. We understand that the uncertainty and fear you are likely suffering from during this time can be overwhelming, which is another reason that this initial consultation is so important: you will be able to learn more about your legal options and get peace of mind from knowing that there is a team out there fighting to get you the justice you deserve.
What Is Negligent Security, and How Does It Affect a Premise Injury Case?
First, let’s clarify what a premise injury case is. In a premise injury, or liability, case, the victim holds the property owner legally liable for the accident that they were injured in, and therefore they seek compensation from the property owner (or the party legally responsible for the management and liability issues of the property, such as a leasee or management company) for all measurable damages. Common premise liability cases include things like slip and fall cases stemming from things like falls down flights of dangerous stairs, wet floors, faulty walkways, and more.
While negligent security cases are not the most common of all premise liability cases, they are just as important. Just as when you visit someone else’s property you can rightfully expect that the owner has addressed hazards like icy walkways, wet floors, broken handrails, and other structural safety issues, you can also expect that they have taken the appropriate security measures to keep you safe as well. This is the case for both commercial and residential properties, and the owner includes measures such as informing the visitor of ongoing safety issues, providing adequate surveillance, screening entrants to the property, and more.
The Impacts of Negligent Security
When a property owner or manager fails to provide adequate security measures for their property, it puts you and all other visitors at risk of a number of issues that put everyone at risk of serious harm. For example, a parking garage has the potential to be a dangerous area for people who are walking to and from their cars alone, particularly at night. Proper security measures for this situation could include installing bright lights to cut down on dark corners, as well as ensuring that there is a security guard present at all times the garage is opening, ensuring that surveillance cameras are running at all times, and limiting entrances and exits to the garage so that people are not able to simply sneak through a back door.
If, in this example, you were walking to your car after a late shift at work and someone were to assault you and rob you, your premise liability attorney would look at all of the security measures that the garage took to keep you safe. If we were to find that there were ongoing issues with robberies in this garage that the owners failed to disclose, or that the lighting or cameras were either disabled or nonexistent, then these are possible proof that the defendant failed their duty of care to you, the patron of the garage and legal visitor to the premise.
Of course, this is one of many examples that can lead to a premise injury case resulting from negligent security measures. If you have been hurt on someone else’s property, contact our firm as soon as possible to discuss your situation and your rights as a victim. The sooner we are working together, the sooner you can start looking towards the future with confidence knowing that there is someone fighting to get you the money that you deserve.