Negligent security cases sit at the intersection of premises liability and criminal acts. A business or property owner can be held liable for injuries caused by third-party criminals when the attack was foreseeable and the owner failed to take reasonable security measures. These are difficult, sensitive cases — and we handle them with the attention they deserve.
What qualifies as negligent security
To establish a negligent security claim, we typically need to prove:
- The attack was foreseeable. Did similar crimes happen at this property or nearby? Were there warnings or prior incidents?
- The property owner failed to take reasonable security measures. Working locks, adequate lighting, security personnel, surveillance cameras, controlled access.
- That failure caused or enabled the attack.
- You suffered actual damages — physical, emotional, financial.
Foreseeability is often the key issue. We investigate police reports, prior incidents at the property, the surrounding neighborhood's crime statistics, and the property's history.
Common negligent security scenarios
- Apartment complex assaults — broken locks, broken gates, inadequate lighting, no security patrols
- Parking lot attacks — at malls, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and bars
- Bar and nightclub assaults — inadequate or untrained security, over-served patrons, known dangerous patrons
- Hotel security failures — broken locks, inadequate desk staffing, easy access to floors
- ATM and bank assaults — exposed locations, no security cameras, no patrol
- Gas station robberies — inadequate lighting, lack of cameras, late-night staffing failures
- Concert and event venue incidents — inadequate crowd control, untrained security staff
- School and college campus attacks — failure to follow security protocols
Who can be liable
In a negligent security case, potential defendants include:
- The property owner (who often carries substantial insurance)
- The property management company
- Security companies hired to protect the property
- Individual security guards in some circumstances
- The attacker (though they often have no assets — which is why the property owner case matters)
The criminal attacker may also face criminal charges separately. Civil cases proceed independently of criminal prosecution and have a lower burden of proof — meaning we can win a civil case even where criminal charges weren't filed or were dismissed.
After a security incident
- Get medical care immediately.
- Report the incident to both the property and law enforcement.
- Document everything — injuries, the location, any visible security failures (broken locks, missing cameras, poor lighting).
- Get witness contact information if anyone saw the attack or aftermath.
- Save any communications from the property regarding the incident.
- Don't sign anything from the property or their insurance.
- Get mental health support. Trauma is real and compensable.
- Call an attorney — surveillance footage and security records get destroyed quickly.
"Crime is the criminal's fault. But preventable crime — crime that good security would have stopped — is also the property owner's responsibility."
If you've been hurt, don't wait. Call us now or fill out our free case review form. We listen, evaluate honestly, and tell you what we think — no obligation, no pressure.