When we leave our personal residences to go to work, school, the movies, or the mall, we expect to be safe. Public places have instilled a sense of security in American families, and so we rely on this impression of safety to help us feel comfortable. However, criminal and violent activity can happen at any place and at any time. We’re vaguely aware of this fact, but most of us don’t know how to actually look out for this suspicious activity in order to protect our families. Knowing about negligent security is crucial if you or one of your family members gets injured by a criminal.
Negligent security is a form of premises liability; it refers to when an individual is injured by a criminal action on a property with lax security in place. You, as the injured party, can hold the property owner liable where a criminal injury was inflicted. Negligent security cases often arise out of robbery, rape, battery or assault cases. Negligent security cases can happen on a commercial or residential property, but different properties have different levels of security duty (for example, a college dormitory would have less of a security duty than a shopping mall or concert venue). You could choose to sue for negligent security if you know the owner or tenant of the property where the criminal act occurred, but you do not know the name or location of the stranger who perpetrated the crime.
Adequate security depends on many factors related to the property. In general, common factors include having trained security patrols, suitable lighting, and high-functioning security hardware features.
As the plaintiff, you will need to prove that a property owner failed to exercise proper care in discovering criminal activities, or they failed to give reasonable warning to visitors in order to prevent injury.
The attorneys at Martin Law Office, S.C. will help you and/or your family pursue a premises liability claim, such as a negligent security case. Contact our office to discuss your case.
