Negligent Security

What is Negligent Security?

Negligent security is a form of premises liability law. It is defined as the failure of a private property owner or business owner to provide reasonable and adequate security for visitors, guests, tenants and customers. Under premises liability law, property owners are required to keep their premises reasonably safe from criminal actions caused by third parties that are foreseeable by the property owner.

The law is especially true for areas of high crime, such as inner cities, or areas repeatedly targeted by criminals. If the property owner should have known about the safety risk on their property they can be held accountable for inaction and not claim ignorance when an obvious risk is present that can lead to an injury or death.

Examples of Negligent Security

While not an exhaustive list, our Philadelphia negligent security lawyers have represented clients who suffered injuries in the following situations:

• A customer was accosted when walking to their car in a store’s parking lot after shopping
• Patrons at a local bar were injured when a fight broke out between other patrons
• A concert goer was expelled from a concert venue due to unruly behavior but remained on the premises and attacked guests in the parking lot when the concert ended
• A victim was sexually assaulted in the lobby of their apartment/condominium complex
• A shopper at a New Jersey mall was followed down a hallway to the bathrooms where they were sexually assaulted and robbed
• A client’s child was injured when a fight broke out on the school playground
• A client was attacked in the cafeteria of their office building, having their wallet stolen and suffering a broken ankle after being pushed to the ground
• A college student was followed back to their dorm and sexually assaulted, not knowing the perpetrator was following them due to dimly lit walkways on campus

In all of these incidents, the victims suffered injuries due to the lack of or poor security on the property. It is important to note that property owners are not responsible for providing absolute safety for visitors. Instead, they are required to take reasonable steps to protect their visitors from foreseeable danger.

Who Can You Hold Accountable for Injuries Caused by Negligent Security?

Our Philadelphia negligent security lawyer will work to hold all parties involved in the negligent security incident accountable for their inaction. Parties who can be held accountable for negligent security can include the following:

• Owners of apartment complexes
• Owners of shopping malls, strip malls, and shopping centers
• Property management firms
• College campuses
• Hotels and motels
• Maintenance and cleaning contractors
• Commercial landlords
• Owners of parking lots and parking garages
• Restaurants and bars
• Security agencies and the security guards they employ

The Common Causes of Negligent Security

Negligent security incidents can be caused by any of the following:

• Lack of security: This can include anything from lack of security guards, lack of security lighting, lack of security protocols, and lack of security cameras.
• Failure to respond to criminal activity nearby: If the owner of a property fails to improve security at their location after learning of criminal activity near them, they can be held accountable for negligent security.
• Equipment that malfunctions: A property owner’s failure to inspect, maintain, and repair security equipment that then fails when a visitor is injured can be held liable in a lawsuit. Malfunctioning equipment can include security cameras, gates, door locks, lights and alarms.
• Improperly trained security staff: Simply hiring security guards is not enough to avoid a lawsuit for negligent security. Those guards must be properly trained on how to spot criminal activity, how to respond to reported incidents, how to protect visitors and more.
• Inadequate equipment: Not having enough lighting in hallways or parking lots can lead to visitors being stalked and attacked. Property owners can be held liable if they did not provide enough safety equipment and an incident occurs that leads to a visitor suffering an injury.

Injuries and Losses Caused by Negligent Security Incidents

A Cherry Hill negligent security lawyer can represent victims of negligent security incidents who have suffered the following injuries and losses:

• Sexual assault, robbery, stabbing, shooting, assault and mugging
• Burglary
• Theft
• Stampedes at sporting events, concert venues, or other places where large crowds gather
• Catastrophic injuries that include spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, amputation, burns, broken bones, internal bleeding and other injuries