Business owners or property managers are responsible for the safety and security of their customers, visitors, and employees. This includes making sure they are protected from intruders and possible criminals. Nobody expects the owner of a grocery store to have their own police force, but owners must still take reasonable actions to keep people safe.
If you were injured because of a property owner’s failure to maintain security, an experienced premises liability attorney can help you take legal action. A San Diego negligent security lawyer at CaseyGerry can help you understand your legal options and pursue the compensation you may be entitled to.
In premises liability law, negligent security means holding property owners liable for failing to ensure their customers’ safety from possible criminal acts. Property owners must do what they can to prevent foreseeable criminal harm based on the nature of the property and the history of the area.
Examples of negligent security can include:
Property owners should keep in contact with local law enforcement and be aware of any recent increase in criminal activity. They should also not ignore or downplay an area’s past history of high crime. Our San Diego attorneys know what to look out for when it comes to inadequate security.
An attorney from our San Diego firm can help you hold the property owner liable for your injuries by proving that the crime was reasonably foreseeable and that the security precautions were inadequate.
To prove negligence, you must show that the responsible party had a duty to you, that they failed in their duty, and that failure was the cause of your injury. Business owners have a duty to keep invitees (customers) and licensees (guests) safe from known hazards, including criminal activity.
For example, it is reasonably foreseeable that patrons using ATMs at night could be targets of robbery. Bank officials and property owners have a responsibility to keep the area around the ATM well-lit and the security cameras in good condition. If a robbery does occur, they may have a responsibility to shut the machine down.
A property owner does not have a responsibility to protect visitors from all possible harm. If, for example, an ATM was well-lit, guarded, and in a low-crime area, and a robbery occurred anyway, the security may have been adequate. Not all criminal activity is due to negligence.
At CaseyGerry, we can review the facts of your case and help determine if the property owner was negligent. If they failed in their duty of care, we will assist you in filing a personal injury claim. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation with a San Diego negligent security lawyer and let us guide you through the legal process.
