When you reside in or visit a Philadelphia apartment complex, you expect to be able to spend time in your home or your friend’s home without being attacked or harmed by a third party. Therefore, as a resident of an apartment complex, it is reasonable to assume that the apartment complex owner or landlord will provide and maintain security measures that will keep you safe and harm-free at all times while in the complex. However, if your landlord or apartment complex owner is careless and does not provide appropriate security, you or one of your visitors may suffer serious and life-threatening injuries that could affect you for the rest of your life.
What types of crimes usually occur at Philadelphia apartment complexes?
Apartment complexes lacking appropriate security are likely to experience certain types of crimes, including:
- Theft, robbery, or burglary
- Physical assault
- Rape or sexual assault
- Stabbings
- Shootings
- Battery
- Kidnapping
- Homicide or murder
- Carjacking
Examples of negligent security that could happen at an apartment complex
Landlords and property owners are usually aware of potential crimes that could happen at their apartment complexes. Therefore, based on this knowledge, they are required to prevent and deter these crimes from happening by taking certain steps to ensure that there is adequate and appropriate security in place. If they fail to do so, tenants and visitors can become seriously hurt. Here are a few examples of negligent security that could happen at an apartment complex:
- Failing to ensure that the parking lots, stairways, walkways, and common areas have adequate and working lighting
- Failing to conduct background checks on tenants to ensure that they do not have a criminal past and could put current and future tenants and visitors at risk of danger
- Failing to hire security personnel to guard and keep an eye on the apartment complex
- Failing to install a security system that activates an alarm when a person trespasses or a tenant is in danger
- Failing to install security cameras to keep an eye on the apartment complex and anyone who enters
- Failing to repair broken windows, door locks, fences, and gates
- Failing to listen and take action when tenants make complaints or reports of dangerous concerns
How do I prove that the apartment complex owner is liable for negligent security?
If you believe that the apartment complex owner is liable for negligent security, you must be able to prove that the attack and injuries you experienced occurred because of the apartment complex owner’s negligence. You can prove this by establishing these four elements:
- Duty of care: The apartment complex owner owed you, other tenants, and your visitors a duty of care to keep the property safe. This means they had the obligation to provide certain security measures to prevent or deter crimes.
- Breach of duty: The apartment complex owner breached their duty by failing to install, maintain, or update appropriate security measures. For example, if tenants reported a broken light in the parking lot but the apartment complex owner never fixed or replaced the light, this could be considered a breach of duty if it is determined that the person who committed a crime was able to hide in the dark area of the parking lot.
- Causation: There must be a direct connection between your apartment complex owner’s negligence and your injuries. This means that you must be able to show that if the property owner had installed adequate lighting, fixed the broken security cameras, or hired trained security guards, the crime could have been prevented, which means your injuries would have never happened.
- Damages: You must also prove that you suffered damages as a result of the apartment complex owner’s negligent security. This can be medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma, mental distress, physical pain, and more.
You will also need to prove that the apartment complex owner was aware of certain crimes occurring in the area, meaning that the crimes were foreseeable.
What forms of evidence do I need to build a case against the apartment complex owner?
When building a case against the apartment complex owner, you need as much evidence as possible to support your claim. Some of the most common forms of evidence that our clients typically gather includes:
- Police reports
- Photos
- Videos
- Surveillance footage
- Medical records
- Eyewitness statements
- Expert witness testimony
- Apartment complex property records
- News reports or police reports of nearby crimes
- Complaints or reports made to the apartment complex
Negligent security claims are known to be very complex and challenging. Therefore, it is never recommended to navigate these types of cases alone. Instead, you should consider hiring a negligent security attorney from Kwartler Manus as soon as possible to guide you through the legal process, ensuring that no mistakes or errors are ever made. If you are ready to get started, please contact our team to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today. We look forward to speaking with you and learning more about how we can help you with the situation that occurred at your Philadelphia apartment complex soon!