How Inadequate Security Affects Your Premises
Liability Suit
The
good news is that violent crime is trending downward in Fort Lauderdale and
Broward County, but there are still hundreds of victims whose injuries could
have been prevented had adequate security been in place. Florida law requires
that property owners have a legal duty to protect persons, legally on their
property, from foreseeable criminal attacks. If they don't they can become the
defendant in a premises
liability lawsuit.
It's a
pretty straight forward concept. If you are a property owner and you invite
people to visit, then you have a duty to protect those guests from a number of
hazards one of which is assault. Inadequate security or negligent security
applies when a property owner does not take adequate steps to protect guests
from threats that he or she can foresee or should have foreseen.
What is Inadequate Security?
What
those "steps" should be and how "adequate" they are is
often determined in settlement negotiations or in court. There is no standard
amount of security that applies for every type of business. Adequate security
for a grocery store located in a neighborhood with a low crime rate, no history
of incidents, and regular business hours may require less security than a
grocery store located in a high crime area that is open 24 hours per day.
That
said, every business has to take the safety of their guests seriously regardless
of where they are located or what their history with crime is.
If you
are a victim of assault, robbery, battery or rape while on private property and
you decide to pursue a premises liability lawsuit, you want to be certain to engage an attorney that has
the experience and investigative resources to best represent you.
If
you have further questions regarding inadequate security, feel free to contact
us at Martin, Lister and Alvarez. Read more: