Dallas Negligent Security Attorneys
When you visit a store, mall, motel or apartment complex in Dallas, you should not have to worry about getting attacked while you are on the premises. If you suffer injuries in an attack which the property owner could have foreseen, and the owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the risk of such an attack, you may be eligible to recover compensation in a negligent security claim.
Kraft & Associates, P.C., Understand Premise Liability Law
The experienced premises liability attorneys at Kraft & Associates, P.C., have served Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas in Texas since 1971. We know how to investigate and litigate negligent security cases and pursue the compensation that victims and their families deserve. To discuss how we can help you, contact us today and receive a free consultation.
What Is a Negligent Security Claim?
A negligent security claim is a type of premises liability claim. In other words, it is a type of personal injury claim that involves a dangerous property condition that a property owner (or manager) should have taken reasonable steps to address. In these cases, the dangerous condition is the risk of third-party criminal acts.
To establish a negligent security claim in Texas – also commonly called an inadequate security claim – two important facts that you must establish are:
- The crime was foreseeable – The property owner knew or reasonably should have known that criminal acts could occur on the property. For instance, over the course of several months, several tenants in an apartment complex reported that they were victims of a break-in.
- The risk of harm was unreasonable – The property owner failed to exercise ordinary care to prevent harm from the criminal acts of third parties such as maintaining existing security features or adding new ones.
What Are Examples of Negligent Security Cases?
Negligent security claims in Dallas often arise where crime is foreseeable on a property, and the property owner fails to take basic steps such as:
- Installing an electronic security system that prevents people from entering a building with an access code or keycard
- Putting up security cameras and hiring security guards to monitor who goes in and out of a building or complex
- Providing adequate lighting in common areas such as walkways, parking lots and stairwells
- Installing locks on doors or windows that prevent break-ins
- Ignoring a security consultant’s warnings or recommendations
- Warning residents and visitors about recent assaults or other criminal activity on the property or in the surrounding area.
A property owner also has a responsibility to avoid bringing dangerous people onto the premises. This means that a property owner should conduct a reasonable background check before hiring employees. For instance, a property owner could be liable if a visitor suffers injuries in an attack because an owner hired a person with a record of committing violent offenses or sexual assaults.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Negligent Security?
In most negligent security cases, a victim files a claim against the owner of the property. In our experience as Premise Liability Attorneys at Kraft & Associates, P.C., these incidents typically occur on commercial properties such as stores, shopping malls, clubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, motels, office buildings, and apartment complexes.
However, liability in a premises liability case can also attach to the party who controlled the property and, in that sense, was in the best position to make the property safe for visitors. So, if one party owned the property, but another party leased the property and operated a business there, then that party could potentially be liable as well in a negligent security claim. A negligent security lawsuit may also seek damages from a company that the property owner or tenant hired to provide security for the premises.
How Do You Determine Liability for Negligent Security?
A negligent security case in Dallas requires a prompt and thorough investigation. At Kraft & Associates, P.C., our legal team will get to work right away on gathering and examining evidence such as:
- Physical evidence at the property such as locks, lights, alarms, and cameras
- Inspection and maintenance records for certain types of security equipment such as cameras, alarms or locks
- A crime map or “grid” for the property and surrounding area, showing reported criminal activity such as assaults, break-ins or other crimes
- Individual police reports about crimes committed on the property or in the surrounding area
- Internal documents such as reports about attacks or a security consultant’s recommendations for providing adequate security
- Interviews with witnesses, police, security personnel or other tenants.
In addition to collecting evidence, Kraft & Associates, P.C., may also consult with security professionals, forensic experts, doctors, life-care planning professionals, and others in order to establish liability and the number of damages to seek on your behalf.
What Types of Damages Can You Recover in a Negligent Security Claim?
If you are the victim of an attack on someone else’s property, you may suffer severe physical and emotional injuries. You may need extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and counseling. Due to your injuries, you may also be unable to work for a period of time or to return to work at all. As we work on your case, our goal will be to secure full and fair compensation for all of the harm you have suffered due to a property owner’s inadequate security, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and diminishment of future earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages (in extreme cases)
- Wrongful death damages (if your loved one died due to an attack).
Our solid preparation of cases gives us leverage when we negotiate with property owners and other parties to reach a settlement. It also allows our attorneys to be ready for trial if that’s what it takes to pursue the compensation you are due.
Our Dallas Negligent Security Attorneys Can Help You
If a property owner’s negligence allowed you or a loved one to suffer injuries in an attack, you have the right to seek justice and fair compensation. Kraft & Associates, P.C., will aggressively protect those rights and provide the caring, highly personalized representation that you deserve. To learn more, call or reach us online today and schedule a free consultation through our Dallas office.