Negligent Security
Negligent Security Case Lawyer
If you or a family member have been a victim of an attack, assault or other similar crime, you may be eligible to file a case related to negligent security.
Protect Yourself At All Costs
The owners and administrators of public buildings and spaces such as apartment complexes, malls, schools, hospitals, parks, and other locations have a duty to provide an environment that is not conducive to criminal activities such as assault. When poor lighting, absent or sub-par security guards, or other factors contribute to your being harmed in any way, these parties may be liable for the injuries that you have suffered.
If you have been a victim of a crime and suspect that negligent security was a contributing factor in your assault, you probably have many questions about your rights, your possible compensation, and your chances of prevailing in a possible lawsuit. AM Smith Law Firm can answer those questions.
Georgia law states that a property owner may be liable for injuries to a person invited on the property if the invited person is injured due to the owner’s “failure to exercise ordinary care in keeping the premises […] safe.” O.C.G.A. 51-3-1 To prevail in a negligent security case, the injured person must demonstrate:
- There was a legal duty to conform to a standard of conduct;
- This duty was breached by the property owner;
- The breach caused the injury; and
- The injury caused damage.
Georgia law also states that the criminal act that resulted in the person’s injury must have been “foreseeable” by the property owner.
The fact that a school, for instance, provides inadequate security is not in itself grounds for a lawsuit. The school’s negligent security must have resulted, for instance, in an assault of a patron on the premises that involved injury. The fact that a physical assault occurred in a dorm room is not, in and of itself, grounds to sue a university; the plaintiff must show that the administrators were aware of a pattern of such events, for instance, and failed to act.
Know Your Rights
Frequently, previous incidents of criminal activity linked to inadequate security will provide strong evidence that the potential defendant in a case knew about risks but did not address them.
Crimes committed as a result of negligence in security often involve armed robbery, sexual violence, assault, or even murder. If you believe you were injured and there was negligent security, please contact AM Smith Law Firm to schedule a free case evaluation.
