The Georgia Negligent Security Guide was created by Princenthal, May & Wilson, LLC, to help injured residents recover the compensation they deserve from the negligent party.
Atlanta has a high rate of crimes that happen each year. When you are a victim to these crimes, you are at risk of being seriously injuries. If you have been hurt on someone else’s property in a criminal event, you may be able to bring a negligent security case against the property owner. Public property owners are responsible for keeping their visitors safe and they will be held liable if they fail to do this.
There are a few things that a property owner needs to be aware of in order to keep their visitors safe. They need to educate themselves about the crime rates of their area and see what potentially could happen. With that information, they need to do something to prevent these events from happening to their visitors. If this is not done, then they can be held liable for the injuries sustained on their property.
If you are looking for a representation for your injuries in a negligence security case, please call our office today to set up a consultation with our Georgia negligent security lawyers.
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Proving Liability in a Successful Negligent Security Case
You may be eligible for a negligence security claim if you are injured in one of the following places:
- A shopping mall
- A store
- A hotel
- A gas station
- A grocery store
- A strip mall
- Parking lots
To have a successful case you need to know a few tings about negligent security. You have options for your case. You can choose to bring your case against the individual who was the one who physically harmed you. However, you may find that it is more successful to bring a claim against the property owner for many reasons. You may not even be able to track down the individual who harmed you. It is far better to hold the property owner responsible for failing to protect you from this incident.
In order for you to being your case successfully, there are four things that need to happen:
- Prove that the property is under the ownership of the party you are bringing the claim against.
- Prove that the property owner knew that there was potential for injuries but did not prevent them from happening.
- Prove that the premises had insufficient security.
- Prove that you were injured due to all of these things happening.
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Georgia Negligent Security and Premises Liability
The term negligent security encompasses an array of events that fall under that term. There are several varying incidences that are related to negligent security. They are typically crime related. The types of incidences that frequently are called a negligent security claim include:
- Armed robbery
- Assault
- Battery
- Burglary
- Mugging
- Rape
- Theft
Essentially, a negligent security case involved you getting hurt and that injury being directly related to a property owner’s negligence. If they had acted in a different way, maybe you would be better off. They could have taken measures to prevent this from happening and because of that they can be held liable.
If they had put up a locked gate, had cameras in the parking lot, armed guards on the premises, installed cameras, or had better lighting in the parking lots, these incidences may have never happened.
There are two things that you have to know in order for this to be a successful case:
- When you bring a case against the property owner, they need to have known that they had insufficient security.
- The owner of the property needs to have known that someone could have gotten hurt and that their lack of action was a hazard to visitors of their property.
The owner of the property can be liable for your damages if you were have been harmed on their property due to their negligence if you can prove these things.
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Frequently Asked Negligent Security Questions
Should I Hire a Negligent Security Attorney?
When you have a negligent security case, you want an attorney who handles personal injury law, not an attorney who represents business deals or drafts wills. You want a lawyer who knows about negligent security claims and has experience handling negligent security claims.
Negligent security claims are very different than car accident claims. The law in Georgia on these issues is very complicated; if you do not have an attorney who knows how to handle these cases and knows what evidence is necessary to prove in order to bring your case to trial, it’s very possible your negligent security claim could be dismissed by the court. You need a lawyer who’s experienced and knowledgeable about negligent security claims specifically, not just car wrecks or slip and falls. You want a lawyer, too, who will not only handle the case just to settle it, but who will go to trial and has experience trying negligent security claims.
If you were injured or assaulted at a shopping center, hotel or motel, or an apartment complex where there was a high-crime rate in the past, and the owner of that property knew about that crime rate and didn’t take appropriate or reasonable measures to protect their customers or tenants, they may have responsibility. The defense lawyers who are defending the owner will attempt to put all the blame on the criminal himself. The owner of the complex or the shopping center or the hotel has a responsibility to protect their customers or their tenants. You want a lawyer who knows how to prove that and knows what to expect at a trial, what type of defenses to expect and how to deal with those defenses.
How Long Will a Negligent Security Case Take?
Unfortunately, there is no way to know right away how long a case will take. Every case is different and depends on different facts. Negligent security claims are not like a car accident case where someone gets rear-ended at a red light and you deal with an insurance company. Most of the time, with negligent security claims, you need an attorney who knows how to pursue the case and knows how to build the case. This can involve hiring experts and locating and obtaining evidence to prove that the owner of the premises bears some responsibility, not just the criminal who injured you or your loved one. Unfortunately, it can sometimes take quite a while to obtain that evidence and build up the case so that you or your loved one can recover what you’re actually entitled to.
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What is My Negligent Security Claim Value?
A lot of times, in these types of claims, it’s not really about the amount of medical bills when it comes to valuating the claim. The injuries involved are not always the same type of injuries or damages that you may have in a car accident case, and it may not be the type of scenario where you look at medical bills or lost wages. The damages may be quite different in some of these cases where someone’s been the victim of a crime.
If you’ve been the victim of a crime and you think you may have a negligent security claim against the person or party that owns the property where the crime occurred, call an attorney. We know what to look for and how to prove your damages. Often, in these types of cases, the damages are more emotional or mental.
We know what types of experts our clients need to see for their own well-being and mental health, but also to prove the injuries that he or she has suffered as a result of this crime. You want an attorney who’s experienced in handling negligent security claims and who knows how to bring to bear the right resources.
How Can I Recover Damages in a Negligent Security Claim?
With a negligent security case, oftentimes the damages are really not tied to medical bills. Damages in these cases can be quite significant because this is the type of injury that can affect a person for the rest of their life, but they can be more complex to define. The true damages in these cases are often pain and suffering damages. Pain and suffering comes in many forms, and it is not just the physical pain that you may have experienced. If you were shot during a robbery at an apartment complex, when that physical pain eventually dissipates and goes away, there are other types of pain and suffering that remain– mental and emotional pain. Oftentimes, this is the more significant area of damages. You need to have a lawyer who knows how to pursue those damages, how to prove those damages, and knows what you are entitled to recover.
Call Our Georgia Negligent Security Lawyers Today
If you have been seriously hurt in an incident due to negligent security, please call our office as soon as possible. Our Georgia negligent security lawyers can help guide you through your negligent security case every step of the way.
Looking for the right attorney to represent you is going to be a key part of your success in this case. You will want to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. Our lawyers are eager to guide you through this legal battle in attempts to get you the fairest and fullest amount of compensation possible.