When you live, work, or visit a location owned or operated by a third-party, your expectation and right is to be safe and secure in that place. In the past several years cases of negligent security have been on the national radar, holding property owners and operators accountable for physical harm or damages incurred in locations that they are responsible for securing.
Sometimes understanding what falls under negligent security can be hard to determine. If you have experienced injury due to insufficient security measures, you may be entitled to compensation. We will help you define and better understand if you have fallen victim to negligent security.
What is Negligent Security?
Negligent security applies to both commercial and residential properties. While it falls under liability law, it generally holds a property owner liable for negligence in cases of injury or damages that occur due to lack of sufficient security or safety measures. These security oversights can result in injury.
Locations most often liable include but are not limited to:
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Airports
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Amusement Parks
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Apartment buildings
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Concert venues
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Grocery stores
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Hospitals/Nursing Homes
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Office buildings
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Parking garages
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Schools/Universities
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Shopping malls/centers
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Sporting stadiums
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Theaters
What is Considered Negligent Security?
Property owners are responsible for taking necessary actions to ensure that visitors and tenants have minimal risk while on the premises. If inadequate action is taken and injuries occur as a result, the property owners can be at fault.
Understanding if you are a victim of negligent security where property owners may be held liable can be beneficial to you and your law team. Here are some of the most common:
Faulty Access Control: If the property has broken or malfunctioning locks, gates, fencing or security access systems. Property owners can be held liable if unauthorized individuals are able to gain access, resulting in harm to authorized patrons. These cases most often involved apartment complexes, gated communities, and office buildings.
Missing or Inadequate Security Systems: Property owners are responsible for proper and regular maintenance of security systems. If they are not adequately monitored, maintained, or are missing from an area deemed high-risk and an incident occurred, property owners can be held liable if the system fails to provide evidence.
Inadequate Lighting: Broken, missing or insufficient lighting can create an environment where assaults and robberies are more likely to occur. Property owners should ensure that all walkways and key access points are well-lit and regularly maintained.
Lack or Inadequate Security Personnel: Property owners are responsible for ensuring that they have adequately staffed and trained security personnel. Patrons expect that security staff on properties are trained to manage a variety of potential situations, not just act as a deterrent. Additionally, there should be adequate security staffing to safely manage the entire property.
Negligent Hiring: In some cases, property owners may be negligent by not performing adequate background checks that lead to harmful behaviors by staff that they have hired.
What to Do If You Are the Victim of Negligent Security
Contact law enforcement right away to file a police report.
The most important factor is your physical and mental health so seek medical advice as soon as possible after an incident has occurred. Often you may not feel the immediate result of the incident due to shock. Psychological responses to the incident are often delayed. However, your healthcare provider can be pivotal in providing evidence of the damages as a result of negligent security. They are able to provide a medical and/or psychological report detailing your injuries that can be used to hold property owners accountable to their negligence.
Reach out to a trusted Negligent Security Lawyer before speaking to insurance companies or property owners. They will often try to negotiate before you have sought legal counsel as a way to remove personal responsibility.
Consult with an Experienced Negligent Security Lawyer
At McEldrew Purtell, we work closely with security experts, and can help you identify and prove negligent security. Our experienced liability lawyers can guide you and help get you the compensation that you deserve.
At McEldrew Purtell, we pride ourselves on our commitment to our clients and go above and beyond to bring them justice. Contact our team today for a free and confidential consultation by filling out our form.