Crime can happen anywhere, but many opportunistic criminals specifically target locations where they know there will be a large number of people. Businesses, parking lots and even apartment buildings may seem like the ideal location to mug or assault someone.
For the most part, criminals are legally and financially responsible for the consequences of their own decisions. Those harmed by an assailant or a thief can push for the prosecution of that individual and potentially also take legal action against the person who hurt them.
In some cases, it may also be possible to bring a file a civil claim against a property owner or business because of negligent security. When individuals get hurt because of negligent security practices, either insurance claims or civil litigation could be an option for addressing the financial impact of someone’s injuries.
What constitutes negligence security?
Obviously, property owners and those running businesses have no control over what third parties do. However, there are certain kinds of crime that a business could predict might be a concern for their visitors or patrons. There are also common sense security measures that property owners of businesses can utilize got to reduce the risk of criminal activity on their premises.
Investing in security cameras and motion-activated lighting for outdoor spaces can deter criminal activity. Hiring security professionals can also help protect visitors and tenants from the misconduct of others. Even taking steps to limit who accesses a business or apartment building could deter some criminal activity and protect tenants, visitors or customers.
A person hurt by criminal activity on someone else’s property may have grounds for a claim against the property owner or business if they can show that the approach to security was negligent. Provided that a reasonable person would agree that the business failed to do something necessary for the protection of its patrons or visitors, the people affected by that negligence may have the option of pursuing a claim against the business or property owner.
A premises liability claim based on negligence security could compensate someone for the costs associated with the criminal incident and the injuries or other losses it caused. As a result, evaluating a situation to determine every option for compensation available may benefit those harmed by criminal activity while in a public place.