Chicago Negligent Security Lawyer

Serving Those With Inadequate Security Claims in Chicago

Property owners can be held liable for injuries suffered by victims of crime that occurred on their premises. If you were attacked by someone because of inadequate security, you may be entitled to money through a negligent security claim. At Duncan Law Group, Attorney Bob Duncan is dedicated to standing up for personal injury victims. Sadly, personal injuries aren't always an accident; they are caused by criminal violence too. If a property owner fails to provide adequate security for visitors, he/she could be held responsible for damages caused by acts of violence and crime on the property.

The concept of negligent / inadequate security is closely related to another term: duty of care. Duty of care implies that one party (the property owner) is responsible for the safety of another person. For example, an apartment owner may owe duty of care to apartment tenants. This might include security cameras, fencing, and gated entrances. While property owners are not responsible for every criminal act on the premises, they are somewhat obligated to guests, tenants, and clients for foreseeable crimes.

If your injury could have been avoided through added security measures, our Chicago injury attorney Bob Duncan can help you fight for the compensation that you need and deserve. Call (312) 445-0567 to get started.

Types of Negligent Security

1. Inadequate Security at Work: Violence in the work place costs the American economy an estimated $36 to $40 billion every year. While most of the 1.7 billion violent attacks on workplace premises involve simple assault and battery, a smaller percentage result in devastating injuries, robberies, and murder. Sadly, many of these incidents can be prevented through adequate security measures. If you or a loved one suffered because your place of employment failed to provide adequate security, the Chicago personal injury lawyer from Duncan Law Group can help you recover financial compensation for your damages.
2. Negligent Security Claims at Colleges & Universities: Large college campuses are subject to the same dangers as a small town, including acts of criminal violence. Robbery, rape, murder, battery, and assault, are all crimes that can easily occur on a school campus. Schools, colleges, and universities owe duty of care to theirs students to protect them from avoidable crimes. Security guards, surveillance cameras, fencing, gates, and lighting are all security measures that can improve student safety on campus. Even a poorly lit walkway could encourage a robbery, leaving students in danger of serious injury. Without these measures, a college or university could be subject to an inadequate security lawsuit.
3. Inadequate Security at Hotels & Apartments: Hotels and apartment complexes may be held liable for client and tenant injuries. For example, a hotel might lock its lobby doors late at night to prevent unwanted visitors from entering the building. Additional measures, such as security cameras and alarms can be used by hotels to avert criminals from breaking into the building or assaulting hotel guests. Similarly, apartment complexes may be liable to provide gated entryways, lighted parking lots and other precautions to dissuade criminal activity.

How to Prevent Criminal Attacks

Property owners may not be able to prevent all crime, but they can deter criminal activity with proper security.

Many criminal attacks could be prevented by the following safety measures:

• Visible security cameras
• Parking garage security (cameras and personnel)
• Sufficient lighting, especially in stairwells and parking lots
• Locks on security doors
• Front-desk security in office building
• Attentive security supervisors

Additionally, property owners can discourage criminal activity by keeping tall bushes and foliage away from windows; criminals are more likely to break into a building if they are visible from nearby roads and walkways. Similarly, stores can discourage robberies by only keep small bills in their cash registers and posting a sign indicating the amount of money in the register. Criminals are less likely to rob a store if it only keeps small amounts of money in the front register.

Determining Liability in a Negligent Security Case

Negligent security liability relies on two principles: duty of care and foreseeable danger. Hospitals owe duty of care the patients. Similarly, schools owe duty of care to students. This means that hospitals and schools are obligated to protect patients and students from foreseeable danger – criminal attacks and injuries that are predictable.

For example, a shopping center might install security cameras in the parking lot to prevent foreseeable criminal assaults. In the same way, a parking garage might invest in additional lighting for stairwells to prevent potential robberies. In both of these situations, the property owner anticipated crime and took adequate measure to protect guests. Thus, property owners may not be responsible to protect their clients from unpredictable dangers.

Duncan Law Group has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for accident victims through jury verdicts and case settlements. As a Chicago personal injury attorney, Bob Duncan is well-versed in virtually all areas of personal injury law and is ready to use his experience to help you get full and fair compensation for your accident. If you or a loved one suffered an assault or robbery because of negligent security, Duncan Law Group has the resources and skill to fight for you.