Before you begin investigating the cause of your attack and protecting your legal recovery, you must deal with your physical injuries.
The physical—and emotional—consequences of being attacked, assaulted, raped, or otherwise hurt can be catastrophic. Immediate and ongoing medical attention is necessary, but first you and your doctors need to identify the injuries that you have suffered.
Seven Injuries to Watch For
Some of the potential injuries that you or a loved one may suffer after a negligent security attack include…
- Brain and head injuries. More than 10 percent of all brain injuries are caused by assaults and attacks. These brain injuries vary in severity, but can cause lifelong problems that forever change a person’s ability to work, to maintain personal relationships, and to live the way that he did prior to the attack.
- Spinal cord injuries. The physical, emotional, and financial costs of spinal cord injuries can all be very high. Physically, a person with a spinal cord injury may be paralyzed. Emotionally, a person with a spinal cord injury may have to deal with being unable to live his life the way that he did prior to the injury. Financially, the cost of a spinal cord injury can easily exceed $1 million.
- Broken bones. The impact of a broken bone on a negligent security victim depends on which bone is broken and on the severity of the break. A broken bone can require surgery, it may necessitate time out of work, and it can be a painful recovery.
- Sexual assault injuries. These injuries are among the most intimate and terrifying injuries that can be suffered in an attack. The physical and emotional injuries can last a lifetime and may interfere with the victim’s personal relationships, self-esteem, and health.
- Gunshot wounds. The severity of a gunshot wound depends on where the bullet enters and exits the body. Abdominal, chest, and head injuries may be more severe than a bullet to the legs or arms. However, all gunshot wounds are medical emergencies and prompt care is necessary.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PTSD can’t be seen, it is one of the most significant injuries that can be suffered after an attack. It may interfere with a person’s ability to function in his daily routine and to connect with his friends and relatives.
- Death. Many of the injuries described above may result in the death of a negligent security victim.
If you or your loved one have suffered any of these injuries after an attack, then it is important to know what to do next.
A Full Investigation Will Need to Be Done
It is not enough to prove that you were attacked or that you were injured in that attack in a negligent security case. Both of those things may be true, but in order to recover damages in a negligent security case you will need to prove that the property owner failed to provide you with reasonable security. More specifically, you will need to prove that:
- The property owner owed you a duty of care. If you were lawfully on the property then the property owned likely owed you a duty of care.
- The property owner breached that duty of care by failing to act like a similarly situated and reasonable property owner would act in the same type of situation. In other words, the property owner failed to provide you with reasonable security.
- You were injured as a result of the property owner’s breach of the duty of care. Your injury would not have happened but for the property owner’s negligence.
- You have standing to sue for damages in a Wisconsin court.
If you can prove these things then the property owner or the property owner’s insurance company may be responsible for paying for your damages.
What You May Recover From a Negligent Property Owner
Your specific damages will depend on your unique injuries. You should talk about the potential value of your damages with your negligent security lawyer and you may consider things such as past, current, and future:
- Medical expenses.
- Lost income.
- Out-of-pocket costs.
- Pain and suffering.
To learn more about how to protect your recovery of fair damages after a negligent security attack, please read our FREE report, Negligent Security: What You Need to Know About It, and please start live chat with us now.