An owners’ legal duty to provide safe premises for their patrons, renters and guests includes a duty to protect them against harm caused by the criminal acts of third parties when those criminal acts are foreseeable. Criminal acts are foreseeable when their occurrence can reasonably be expected under the circumstances.
Premises Liability Claims can stem from several situations:
- Apartment Security & Criminal Acts
- Residential/Commercial Property Safety & Security
- Construction Site Injuries
When property/business owners fail to provide adequate security measures, residents and guests are put at risk for criminal attack. Adequate security measures can include hiring security guards, installing sufficient lighting, installing security video cameras, keeping bushes and hedges from growing too tall and providing sturdy locks and alarms on doors and windows. The adequacy of the security measures employed may vary depending upon the location and type of business being operated.
Negligent security cases often involve violent criminal attacks such as rape, assault and battery, murder, robbery and more recently, terrorism. These cases have been successfully concluded against owners/operators of businesses including: shopping centers, banks, bars, hotels, restaurants, schools and universities, airlines, parking lots, condominium and apartment buildings, homeowners’ associations, event promoters, night clubs, strip clubs, video arcades, bowling alleys, private security companies, daycare facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and office buildings.
The attorneys at Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay have successfully litigated many cases where the failure of a land/business owner to provide adequate security resulted in the death of guests or patrons or left them with severe, life altering injuries.