Negligent security incidents often occur at certain locations

When you are on someone else’s property as a guest or a customer, you have a right to expect reasonable security. What reasonable security is depends on the location of the property and how the property is used. While an attack can happen anywhere—and can be the result of negligent security—there are some common locations where negligent security incidents happen.

Eight Locations Where Negligent Security Incidents Can Occur

The location of your assault or attack matters. If you were hurt on private commercial property, then you might be able to file a negligent security claim against the property owner or manager and recover damages for your injuries.

You may have a negligent security claim, for example, if you were hurt in a(n):

  • Parking lot. Parking lots—particularly at night—can be common locations for attacks or assaults if reasonable security measures are not in place. Parking lot owners and operators may be able to prevent tragedies by providing adequate security measures such as fencing, lighting, security guards, and security cameras.
     
  • Bar or nightclub. Bars and nightclubs are also common locations for negligent security incidents. While the owner or operator of the facility cannot prevent every drunken brawl, he can take reasonable steps to protect customers by providing bouncers, refusing to serve already intoxicated people, and preventing the club from becoming overcrowded.
     
  • Apartment building. Landlords should provide reasonable security to residents, their guests, and anyone lawfully on their property. This may include locks on all outside doors and individual dwellings, adequate lighting, and other measures.
     
  • College or university. Colleges and universities have a duty to provide reasonable security. This may include locked residential buildings, security guards, adequate lighting, and other measures depending on the location and size of the school.
     
  • School. Private and public schools—including day care facilities, high schools, and all schools in between—have a duty to provide reasonable security for students, staff, and visitors. Illinois law makes school safety a right that every student should expect and the law requires that regular safety drills be conducted. Additionally, schools should have specific policies and procedures in place to protect the students, staff, and visitors in each building.
     
  • Store. Whether you are at a mall, shopping center, or small boutique, you have the right to expect reasonable security to be in place to protect you from a violent robbery or other attack. This may include video surveillance cameras and other specific steps depending on the size of the store, its location, and what is sold.
     
  • Hotel. Lots of people come and go from hotels. Hotels have a duty to provide reasonable security which may include working locks on hotel room doors, adequate lighting, and trained staff who know how to respond to an emergency situation.
     
  • Bank. Federal regulations require banks to provide minimum amounts of security. If you are hurt by an attack in a bank, then it is important to consider whether the bank complied with these regulations and whether the total amount of security provided was reasonable given the location of the bank branch.

If you were hurt or your loved one was killed in any of these locations, then you should speak to an experienced personal injury lawyer to make sure that you are pursuing a fair and just recovery from all potential defendants.

How to Protect Your Rights and Fair Recovery of Damages

After an attack or assault in one of the above locations it is important to take steps to protect your recovery. You may be able to recover for your past, current, and future:

  • Medical expenses.
  • Lost income.
  • Out-of-pocket costs.
  • Pain and suffering.

The person who attacked you might not have the financial resources or the income to pay you for these significant damages. If the property owner failed to provide you with adequate security and that led to your injury, however, then the property owner and the owner’s insurance company may have the legal responsibility to pay for your damages if you pursue settlement negotiations or a civil negligent security personal injury lawsuit in an Illinois court.

You have suffered enough. Do not let your questions go unanswered. Instead, contact our experienced legal team today at 1-800-800-5678 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation about your rights and recovery today.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.