The owner of a home or business has a legal obligation to make sure that persons lawfully on the property are safe. That includes a legal duty to protect patrons, renters, and guests from harm caused by the foreseeable criminal acts of third parties. When property owners breach this duty of care, innocent people can become victims of preventable violent crimes, including assaults, rapes, and robberies.
At Gemma Law Associates Inc., we believe in holding negligent property owners liable for inadequate security that results in personal injury, severe psychological trauma or death. If you’ve been harmed by a foreseeable criminal act because of inadequate security, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation for your lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, disability, and loss of support.
While inadequate security can happen anywhere, the most common cases arise at hotels, apartment buildings, restaurants, clubs, retail stores, office buildings, parking lots, parking garages and shopping centers. Those high-traffic areas often attract criminal activity. Inadequate security claims frequently involve proof that a property owner knew, or should have known, of a pattern of crime in the area but failed to take adequate measures to light, patrol and secure the property.
Adequate security failures include:
- Inadequate lighting
- Faulty door locks
- Faulty or nonexistent window alarms
- Failure to maintain high visibility security measures
- Improperly secured entrances (unlocked doors)
- Failure to provide security guards
- Absence of security cameras
- Open gates or loading bay doors
- Failure to properly screen employees or visitors.
An experienced lawyer can help evaluate the circumstances surrounding inadequate security. The premises liability lawyers at Gemma Law Associates Inc., investigate negligent security cases and identify security lapses that should have been dealt with to prevent foreseeable injury to others. We understand that inadequate security cases often involve psychological distress in addition to any physical injuries that occurred.
If you have been the victim of crime while on another’s property, contact the Rhode Island inadequate security lawyers at Gemma Law Associates Inc., for a free consultation. We represent clients throughout the state of Rhode Island including in the communities of Newport, Woonsocket, Providence, Pawtucket, Bristol, and Warwick. Call us today toll-free or fill out our online form.