What Is Considered Negligent Security?

Georgia residents have the right to feel safe when living in an apartment complex, staying in a hotel, working in an office building, or shopping and running errands on commercial property. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to become the victim of a violent crime when a property owner fails to take reasonable measures to protect those on their property, including providing adequate security.

What Reasonable Security Measures Should a Property Owner Take?

Property owners who invite others to their property for commercial purposes have a duty of care to those lawfully on the property. According to a premises liability lawyer in Atlanta, this duty includes performing regular inspections, addressing safety hazards with prompt repairs, providing regular maintenance, and taking sufficient security measures. For example, a property owner must provide adequate gates and locks as access control measures and ensure that the property is well-lit at night to deter criminal activity. Most residential and commercial properties should also have adequate security personnel, alarm systems, and security cameras. A property owner or manager also has an obligation to respond appropriately to heightened security risks, such as a rise in neighborhood crime.

If a crime occurs on a property when reasonable security measures by the property owner or manager would have prevented the crime, the property owner may be held liable for damages due to their negligence.

When Is a Property Owner Liable for Damages Due to Negligent Security?

When a property has security issues, the property owner may be held liable for negligence if they failed to take the actions a reasonable property owner would have taken in the same circumstances. Property owners are held liable for damages when a crime or act of violence results in injury, as well as property damage or theft. Common negligent security claims in Georgia include the following:

• Inadequate lighting
• Broken locks or gates
• Inadequate or broken security systems, cameras, or alarms
• Failure to provide adequate security personnel 
• Failure to adequately train employees
• Neglecting to enhance property security in response to crimes in the vicinity
• Having outdated security measures or procedures

Recovering damages requires showing that the property owner’s negligence directly caused injuries from an act of criminal violence, and the injury victim suffered damages from the injury.

Common Damages In Negligent Security Claims

Surviving an act of violence is a physically and emotionally traumatic experience, often with lasting repercussions on all aspects of the injury victim’s life. These are the damages in a premises liability claim against a negligent property owner who failed to provide adequate security. Negligent security lawyers in Atlanta suggest common damages include the following:

• Property damage costs
• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Lost earnings
• Future income loss or diminished earning ability
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Compensation for emotional injuries such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbances

If a property owner’s negligent security measures result in a fatal injury, the closest surviving family member may recover compensation through a wrongful death claim.

Proving that a property owner’s negligent security measures directly caused your injury requires compelling evidence. It takes an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney to navigate this type of premises liability claim.