Owners of property are legally required to ensure the safety of that property to the best of their abilities. Property security is controlled by premises liability law, stating the owner or party responsible for maintaining the property may be held liable for any injuries incurred by a person as a result of the dangerous nature of said property.
Victims of negligent security may experience a range of injuries to their person, including serious assault, rape or murder. Recently, courts have indicated that new types of attacks resulting from insufficient security may include terrorist attacks, identity theft and cyberspace attacks.
An important factor of a negligent security suit is that the injury be caused by a condition resulting from remiss or irresponsible behavior on the part of the owner/manager. If an incident transpires that the owner or manager could have in no way foreseen or taken measures to prevent, there is no case. Premise liability cases arise from unsafe conditions that allowed a third-party attack.
In Georgia, when it is foreseeable that a criminal act will occur, property owners have a duty to take all reasonable and necessary steps to keep such an act from happening. If they don’t, injured parties can recover compensation from property owners for not securing the property against foreseeable criminal attacks by third parties.
Security Measures
Ways to provide security include
- Installing video cameras
- Ensuring adequate lighting in parking and common areas
- Installing appropriate door locks
- Erecting a fence
- Restricting access to the building
- Running criminal background checks on tenants and employees
- Hiring a security company to survey the property
- Establishing security policies and procedures
Whether or not a criminal act was foreseeable is the crux of the lawsuit and can be difficult to prove. Victims should hire an attorney with experience in negligent security cases and a dedication to advocating on the victims’ behalf.
Negligent security is can exist in many places such as
- Apartments
- Condominiums
- Hotels/motels
- College/university dorms and campuses
- Shopping centers/malls
- Bars
- Private clubs
- Amusement parks
- Workplace
- Other public areas or buildings
Many instances of negligent security arise from employers providing an inadequate amount of security for employees, which results in a third-party attack on the employee. Employers are required to keep premises in a reasonably safe condition, warn of known dangers and protect those who are legally on the property from harm. Other negligent security claims arise from insufficient security on school campuses, leading to student or staff injuries.
Contact a Negligent Security Lawyer
If you or someone you care about has been the victim of a crime as a result of negligent security, you deserve justice for the erroneous behavior that caused your injury. You can view our verdicts and case results by clicking here. Often this compensation will cover medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress and pain and suffering. Contact Fried Rogers Goldberg LLC – a law firm with the expertise and resources to obtain the compensation you deserve.