Our negligent security lawyers handle cases where people are injured or killed because premises owners or renters did not take proper precautions in securing the building. Negligent building security puts tenants, college students, and hotel guests at risk of assault from rapists, burglars, and other assailants. Property owners have an array of building security options available to them, but often fail to implement the lighting, video cameras, security doors, or security staff to keep the people in their building safe. If you or a loved one was a victim of a crime or sustained injuries due to inadequate building security, a negligent security lawyer at the Wieand Law Firm, LLC can help.
Negligent security is a type of premises liability claim that results when a property owner fails to maintain safe conditions on their property. In negligent building security claims, the property owner failed to protect people on their property from injury caused by an assailant on their premises.
Types of Inadequate or Negligent Security
A person alleging inadequate building security may be able to file a claim if they can prove the property lacked one or more of the following safety measures that was reasonable to keep the property occupants safe.
- Defective or poorly maintained security equipment such as door locks, window locks, fencing, camera monitors, or alarm systems
- Property is absent of security features such as gates, security doors or windows, to prevent outside entry by an assailant
- Lack of adequate lighting in stairwells, hallways, parking lots, corridors, or exits
- Failure to employ adequate number of security guards
- Security staff is untrained, unqualified, or incompetent
- Lack of visitor screening that allows an assailant to gain access to premises
- Failure to properly screen employee criminal histories and hiring a dangerous staff member
- Failure to recognize and respond to known criminal activity in the locale
- Failure to implement
What is Needed to Prove Negligent Security?
The plaintiff in inadequate building security claims must demonstrate that the crime was foreseeable, and that the property owner did not take reasonable precautions to prevent it. The plaintiff must have been a legal guest on the property and show that the injury resulted from the criminal actions at the property.
Previous criminal conduct on or near the premises can be a good indicator that the property owner could foresee criminal activity against a person or their property on the premises. Other considerations that will be included are the risk for imminent harm and factors surrounding the condition, layout, and location of the premises.
For example, let’s pretend that a college dorm room has a keycard access door that allows only keycard users to enter the building. The dorm is adjacent to a Philadelphia park that has experienced violent crimes against women in the past 12 months. The Resident Assistant reports to Campus Security that the keycard reader is not working and needs repaired. Due to budget constraints, the college delays the door repair until the next fiscal quarter. During the interim time, an assailant enters the dorm and assaults a student. This student may have grounds that the crime was foreseeable based on the history of violent crime in the area, and that the college failed to implement reasonable precautions against the attack by failing to repair the keycard door.
Contact a Negligent Security Lawyer at Wieand Law Firm LLC
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed during an assault due to negligent building security, contact the Wieand Law Firm, LLC for a free consultation. We will listen to the circumstances surrounding the assault can launch an investigation to determine who may be liable. A reliable, qualified negligent security lawyer from our firm can evaluate the merits of your potential case and strategize a legal approach. Call us today at 215-666-7777 or send us a message to speak directly with an attorney.
