You may have several options for pursuing justice and compensation if you have suffered injuries and financial losses due to negligent security. If you got hurt in a crime, you could potentially sue the property owner for negligent security in certain circumstances.
However, as the American Bar Association explains, you could also file a personal injury lawsuit against the perpetrator of the crime or others. In addition to the negligent security claim, you could file a lawsuit for battery, assault, sexual assault, and other intentional acts a person convicted of a crime perpetrated.
While not all individuals convicted of a crime have the means to compensate you for your losses, you can speak to a negligent security lawyer who can fully research and assess your case. They can advise you on any other claims you could file.
Filing a lawsuit can help victims recover financial losses and potentially provide compensation for physical and emotional injuries suffered in an attack, assault, or other violent crime. A lawyer can help victims with seeking other claims in addition to negligent security. A negligent security attorney can also identify at-fault parties and pursue all avenues a victim might have for recovering compensation.
You Could Recover Compensation
If you can prove your case, whether it involves a negligent security or other personal injury lawsuit, you could recover compensation for your physical and emotional injuries and financial losses. Types of compensation can include, among others:
- Past, present, and future medical expenses
- Lost income, future lost income, and future lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Psychological distress
- Physical pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Disability
- Loss of consortium
It is important to note that any compensation will directly relate to injuries and damages the plaintiff suffers. Therefore, it is difficult to generalize about compensation without knowing the circumstances of the claim and damages. A negligent security lawyer can inform you about the types of compensation and the amounts you could receive in a lawsuit.
If your loved one died due to a negligent security incident, such as a shooting, robbery, or other assault, close family members might have the option of filing a wrongful death lawsuit. In a wrongful death lawsuit, the decedent’s family could seek to recover compensation, including but not limited to:
- Funeral expenses
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering of the decedent
- Loss of future wages and benefits from the decedent
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of household services
- Loss of parental guidance for minor children
- Loss of inheritance
Pursuing a Negligent Security Case
In many instances, particularly if it is impossible to locate and hold the individual who committed a crime to account, filing a negligent security lawsuit might be a way you can recover compensation for your damages.
Defining Negligent Security
Negligent security cases aim to hold property owners and other liable parties accountable for damages or injuries a property visitor incurs due to insufficient security. Negligent security can occur on commercial and residential properties, including shopping malls, hotels, schools, amusement parks, workplaces, and many other localities, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
However, not every individual who experiences a crime, such as an assault or attack on someone else’s property, can automatically claim negligent security. Plaintiffs seeking compensation must prove a property owner did not take reasonable steps to provide security at the premises in question. Examples of this can include not ensuring adequate lighting at the property, failing to install security cameras, or leaving doors and gates unlocked.
It is important to note that a plaintiff will typically have to prove that a crime was foreseeable and that the property owner either knew of previous crimes or should have known of the danger at their property. This can make negligent security cases tough to litigate. However, a negligent security lawyer can help with a case by collecting proof for negligent security. Evidence can include police records of previous crimes at a property or nearby.
Ben Crump Law, PLLC, Can Help
It can be challenging for a layperson to know the other claims they could seek in addition to negligent security. The laws can also vary across states. A negligent security lawyer can shed light on your case and advise you comprehensively, determining which damages you could seek for financial recovery.
Victims of violent crimes may have considerable claims for expenses after an assault or attack. They may suffer from lifelong physical or psychological conditions that could affect their ability to do their job or participate in activities or hobbies they enjoyed before an attack or assault. Compensation for these damages may be available.
We understand the devastating impact of violent crimes and could help you get justice and compensation. Get in contact with a negligent security lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC now to speak to a team member about your case.
