Texas and New Mexico property owners, businesses, and apartment managers have a duty to protect their patrons and tenants to the best of their abilities under premises liability laws.
When a person visits a store or other privately owned property, they are trusting that their safety will be a top priority. One of the responsibilities to uphold this trust includes providing adequate security to protect visitors from the threat of crimes.
When used properly, security measures such as patrolmen, guards, locks, and cameras can effectively serve as a deterrent to most criminal activity. Businesses should strive to prevent crimes from happening in the first place. When they do occur, however, security measures should be in place to respond quickly and effectively.
While negligent security can be a concern for a wide range of locations, some of the most problematic places include:
- Parking garages
- Parking lots
- Amusement Parks and Carnivals
- Apartment Complexes
- Bars and Nightclubs
- College campuses including dorms
- Hotels
- Parks
- Shopping malls
- Stadiums
When property management fails to provide effective security measures, they can be held liable, especially if their negligence can be proven through previous knowledge of the risk to patrons.
Examples of Negligent Security
- Blocked emergency exits
- Broken or faulty locks
- Failure to provide secure doors or windows
- Failure to run background checks on employees
- Failure to warn customer or tenants of known dangers
- Lack of security protocols or procedures in the case of an incident
- Lack of surveillance
- Poor lighting in parking areas or on walkways
- Poorly maintained walls or fences
- Undertrained of inadequate staff
Inadequate Security Puts Employees at Risk
In addition to business patrons, employees could also face unnecessary risk due to a company’s negligent security. If management insists in cutting corners to conserve costs at the expense of employees, they could be held liable in the event that employees are harmed while at work. For instance, inadequate locks could lead to a robbery while employees are closing up the store.
Contact Negligent Security Lawyer Ted Liggett
For both employees and patrons, the risk of theft, assault, and other harm can be greatly mitigated by diligent security. Business owners that fail to take proper precautions could be held liable for property damage, bodily harm, and emotional stress if their actions reflect negligence in preventing crimes on their premises. If you have been injured due to a property or business owner’s negligence or failure to provide adequate safety precautions, contact the negligent security attorneys at Liggett Law Group.