by Matt WilliamsWhat Is A Negligent Security Case?
Negligent security cases involve an injured person suing a business or property owner for injuries sustained on the owner’s property as a result of a crime committed by a third party. For example, someone who is shot by a stray bullet in their apartment complex can sue their apartment complex for neglecting to provide adequate security; a woman who is sexually assaulted while inside of a nightclub bathroom can sue the club for neglecting to provide adequate security; or someone who is robbed while walking to their car in the parking lot of a hotel may sue the hotel for neglecting to provide adequate security. These cases are based on the idea that the crime could have been prevented, or at least made less likely, if the property owner put appropriate security measures in place. In all three of those situations, the business or property owner can be held liable for neglecting to provide adequate security even though the crime was committed by someone completely unrelated to the business.
Businesses and property owners have a duty to protect their visitors from foreseeable harm. All businesses, including apartment complexes, shopping centers and nightclubs, have a duty to protect visitors from reasonably foreseeable crime. The same is true for other entities, like colleges and universities, who provide living accommodations for college students that reside or take classes on campus. The same is also true for residential property owners, but their duty may be different than that of business owners depending on the situation. Generally, when a business or property owner knows, or should know, that there is a likelihood that someone may become a victim of crime on their property then that business owner has a duty to take reasonable steps to protect visitors from that harm. If no steps are taken by the business to protect their customers from foreseeable harm, then that business may be held liable for injuries a customer sustains as a result.
Unfortunately, businesses will try to save money by cutting corners on costs and expenses, and in most cases one of the first costs they get rid of are security costs. Innocent people have become the victim of crimes like robbery, rape, assault and even murder during acts that likely would not have been committed if security was in place, but a lot of businesses make an intentional, financially driven decision not to provide security knowing it’s necessary. They will also spend more money paying lawyers to defend their case then they will spend trying to protect you from harm in the first place.
If a you have been shot, assaulted or seriously injured on someone else’s property then they should contact the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams to determine whether or not they can move forward with a negligent security case. We can discuss your case with you and explain your rights as it relates to filing a negligent security claim. Depending on the facts of your case, we may be able to hold the property owner, business owner or property manager accountable for failing to warn you about or protect you from harm that was reasonably foreseeable based in large part on the crime in the area. In certain instances, we can also hold a third-party vendor like a security company accountable as well.
There are many benefits to retaining a lawyer after you were injured on somebody else’s property. Matthew Williams and The Law Office of Matthew Williams focus primarily on negligent security matters and they take pride in having a personal relationship with their clients. Attorney Williams treats his clients like family because he knows what they are dealing with is always more than just a case, and he refuses to let adjusters, defense lawyers, or big insurance stand in the way of getting his clients what they deserve. He obtains results for his clients and he’ll do the same for you, so give the Law Office of Matthew Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.