Common Causes of Negligent Security Incidents

Wisconsin property owners and managers are not required to provide you with specific types of security, but they are required to provide you with a reasonable security.

If you have been injured in an attack or an assault on someone else’s property, then the Wisconsin statute of limitations specifies the amount of time that you have to file a lawsuit and to pursue justice. If you miss that deadline, then you will not be able to recover damages for your injuries. Accordingly, it is important to learn about the common types of negligent security incidents and to contact an experienced Wisconsin negligent security attorney if you have been hurt or your loved one has been killed in an attack or an assault on someone else’s property.

Common Types of Negligent Security

As you replay the scene of your attack or assault, it is important to think about what, if any, security measures were in place to protect you. Some common causes of negligent security incidents include:

• Inadequate staffing. A would-be attacker might be discouraged from attacking a victim if there are security guards or other staff members around who may witness what happens and who may call 911. Additionally, when there is sufficient staff in place, staff members may notice people who look suspicious and adequately control the crowds.
• Inadequate training of staff or security guards. It can be difficult to know what to do in an emergency—such as when someone is attacked. Thus, it is important for security guards or other staff members to be adequately trained in both how to prevent criminal activity and in what to do if an attack does occur.
• Inadequate lighting. Lighting can be an important deterrent to criminal activity. A would-be attacker might be discouraged from attacking on a certain property if the lighting is sufficient enough to make it easy for his victim and for other witnesses to identify him. For this reason, this low-cost security measure is often relevant in negligent security cases.
• Inadequate fencing, locks, or other barriers. A fence around the perimeter of the property, a lock on building doors, a security guard at the entrance to a gated community, college, office park or other location, and other barriers can help discourage criminals from coming on the property and committing a crime.

While all of these factors may be relevant to a potential negligent security claim, you cannot recover damages simply because one of the above factors applies to your incident.

Negligent Security Must Be Determined Based on All of the Facts of a Case

You must consider all of the security that was provided on the property at the time that you were hurt in order to determine if the security was reasonable or negligent. This is a complicated assessment and you can expect the property owner or manager—and the insurance company—will fight hard to prove that the security that was provided was reasonable.

Accordingly, you will need to present both evidence and persuasive arguments in order to make the fair recovery that you deserve. Relevant evidence in a negligent security case may include things such as:

• Photographs.
• Surveillance video.
• Eyewitness statements.

This evidence should be presented in an organized and compelling way so that you can get the settlement or court verdict that you deserve.

Get Help With Your Negligent Security Claim

Negligent security claims are not easy, but they are important and it is possible to get a fair recovery. Do not wait too long to take action and do not wait until any potential criminal claim against your attacker has been resolved.

Instead, find out if the property owner or manager was negligent in providing you with reasonable security and take action to protect your recovery. You can get started right now by calling us directly at 1-800-800-5678, by opening a live chat with us on this website, or by downloading a FREE copy of our book, Negligent Security: What You Need to Know About It.