Property owners and business operators owe a duty to visitors to keep their property safe from dangerous conditions, to include crime. Any and every patron should know that property owners should be held responsible for any actions of third party criminals, if you’re not an attorney, like a personal injury attorney Atlanta GA residents trust, exploring the law in this matter can resemble attempting to read Mandarin. If you visit a venue of establishment that is known for dangerous crimes on the property and the property owner fails to take measures to adequately protect patrons, visitors, or other people who are allowed to be on the premises, the property owner may be held responsible for injuries sustained from crimes that happen on their property.
Property owners would only be liable for a customer’s harm if they had acted negligently by failing to provide adequate security. In any legal proceedings, it is the task of the patron to prove the property owner’s negligence contributed to your injuries. You may be required to show that a pattern of crime had existed—as this should prompt a property owner to bolster their security. For example, if you were assaulted at a gas station, you could make a case for inadequate security by proving that the property owner had failed to implement safety measures that would deter further crime.
Such measures may include any of the following:
- Improving their outdoor lighting
- Hiring additional security guards
- Replacing / improving their locks
- Installing outdoor security cameras
- Building a fence around the perimeter
- Controlling access to the building
- Creating new security protocols
You have the right as a customer, consumer, patron, etc. to attend any concert, game, play, etc. at any venue and rest assured that adequate security will be allowed for crowd control and o preserve the safety of all participants. If you or someone you know has recently been involved in an incident that warrants further attention, you may be entitled to financial compensation for any wages loss or medical bills. Because you aren’t an attorney, you should reach out to someone who can assist you in determining if you have a claim to seek compensation for any inconvenience you were caused. Seeking the assistance of a skilled, trained attorney will do a good job assisting you with gaining clarity and figuring out the next step. There is nothing wrong with taking the time to find out what, if anything, can be done.
Thanks to contributor Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. for their insight into