Being attacked in a place where you feel safe changes every part of your life. A Cincinnati negligent security lawyer from Thomas Law Offices can help you regain control of your future.
If you have questions and are not sure where to find answers, we encourage you to contact our law firm directly. We will schedule a free case evaluation where you can discuss your case privately with an attorney qualified in this area of personal injury law. There is no obligation on your part to take any action after a meeting to learn about your legal options.
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The Duty of Property Owners in Cincinnati, Ohio
Property owners in Ohio have an obligation to enact reasonable security measures. This means fixing known hazards and addressing issues in a timely fashion. It also means anticipating foreseeable harm and actively working to prevent it before it injures a visitor.
A negligent security lawsuit rests on the grounds that a property owner did not live up to this duty. By working with a Cincinnati negligent security attorney from Thomas Law Offices, you can recover emotionally, physically, and financially from the preventable crime that caused your injuries.
A Property Owner Has a Duty To Protect Visitors
A premises liability case is one that occurs on someone else’s property. Ohio law has specific laws for property owners because they bear responsibility for the buildings and grounds they own. An owner has the right to enjoy the benefits of owning a property. But they must also carry the responsibility that comes with property ownership.
One of the most critical steps a property owner must take is setting up sufficient security measures. Providing security to those who visit, live, stay, or patronize the establishment is a fundamental duty. Many factors combine to define what “adequate security” looks like, but in most cases, it includes adequate lighting, security cameras, working locks, well-trained security personnel, and limited access to private areas.
Was Your Injury Caused by Negligent Security?
You don’t need to prove that negligent security caused your injuries before you meet with us. That’s our job.
If you were injured in a crime that happened on someone else’s property, you may have legal rights you’re not aware of. We can sit down with you to discuss your case and what options you have for recovery.
We help victims of personal injury in Cincinnati, the surrounding areas of Hamilton County and Clermont County, and throughout Ohio. We can guide you through every step of a negligent security claim with supportive and personalized expertise. Our clients know they can trust us to determine how their injuries can be compensated.
Contact Thomas Law Offices today to claim your free case consultation.
Negligent Security as a Type of Premises Liability Law
Premises liability law is a broad category of personal injury law that handles injuries occurring on another’s property. Because negligent security cases involve criminal activity that happens on someone else’s property, this type of legal case falls under the domain of premises liability laws.
At its core, premises liability law aims to compel property owners to keep their premises safe for visitors. Under Ohio law, every property owner has a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to establish adequate security measures that protect visitors, anticipate foreseeable crimes, deter criminal acts, and thus maintain a safe environment.
When property owners fail to provide adequate security, they can be held liable for criminal activity that injures a visitor, guest, or resident of their property.
Examples of Negligent Security
Your negligent security lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation to see if the premises owner created and followed security measures that were adequate and appropriate given the conditions.
Negligent security may involve businesses or other establishments that have:
- Too few security personnel
- Untrained security personnel
- Lack of or broken security cameras
- Poor lighting
- Lack of or non-functional alarm systems
- Failed to screen visitors
- Broken or ineffective locks, gates, doors, and other points of entry
- Allowed unqualified individuals to have access to keys, codes, or ID cards
- Failed to patrol premises or check for suspicious activity
- Poorly-maintained grounds that create dangerous hiding places
These are only a few examples of negligent security measures that can lead to personal injury. Your case may have been different. One of the attorneys on our team will be able to analyze the circumstances of your case to determine your best avenue for recovery.
What Type of Crime Happens When Security Is Inadequate?
Inadequate security opens the door to violent crime. Some of the premises liability cases we handle at our law firm involve:
- Assault
- Sexual assault or rape
- Carjacking
- Robbery
- Arson
- Kidnapping
- Murder or attempted murder
The attorneys of Thomas Law Offices understand that harm of a violent nature has an unimaginable impact on the survivor or surviving family. Cases involving injuries sustained in a robbery, assault, or other violent crime are among the most difficult that we handle.
We want you to know that we are here not only to offer legal representation but also emotional support, guidance, and help finding the resources you need. At every stage of your negligent security lawsuit, your best interests always come first.
Was the Crime Foreseeable?
One of the elements your negligent security lawyer will need to investigate is foreseeability. This asks whether the property owner could have reasonably foreseen that a crime was possible and thus took measures to prevent it.
To make this determination, your negligent security attorney will look to answer questions like:
- What were the crime rates in the area?
- Were there rising crime trends?
- Had an incident ever happened on the property in the past?
- Had the owner, an employee, a tenant, or anyone else related to the property received threats?
- Was there anything about the property that could attract criminal activity?
- Were any of the people associated with the property (like an employee or tenant) involved in any criminal activities, or were in a position that could have brought criminal activity to the property?
- How did the owner of the property handle any past incidents or threats?
Finding the answers to these questions will help your legal representative determine if the crime was foreseeable and could have reasonably been stopped before it happened.
Where Do Negligent Security Cases Happen?
These types of liability claims may involve criminal activity that occurs at businesses and other commercial property, apartment buildings, parking lots, and other public or private facilities.
Any type of crime can happen at a poorly-secured:
- Parking lot or garage
- Shopping mall
- School
- Office building
- Apartment complex
- Airport
- Public property
- Hotel
- Theater
Recovering Compensation After an Injury Caused by Negligent Security
Like other types of personal injury cases, plaintiffs in negligent security cases have the right to pursue compensation for their losses. As the injured party, it is not your obligation to pay for injury-related expenses out of pocket. Georgia law states that it is the legal duty of the negligent party to take financial responsibility for the damages they caused.
In your negligent security case, you may be entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages from the business owner, property owner, or other party responsible for your injuries.
Economic damages address medical costs, lost income, mental health care expenses, and other quantifiable financial expenditures. You should not be made to pay these bills yourself.
Non-economic damages exist to provide compensation for the less tangible injuries you suffered, such as emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
It may be unthinkable to affix a monetary value to the trauma you endured. But compensation in a personal injury case is not about quantifying your pain. It’s about alleviating your financial burden so you can focus on what’s important. It’s about giving you the peace and security to recover without worrying about affording the care you need. And it’s about holding wrongdoers accountable for negligence that destroys the lives of others.
A Cincinnati Negligent Security Lawyer Is on Your Side
Security that is inadequate turns a blind eye to crime. Our attorneys believe strongly that businesses owe it to their clients to establish security measures that prioritize safety above all else. If a crime does occur, they owe it to the victims to do everything possible to make up for the extreme losses they suffered.
A negligent security lawyer from Thomas Law Offices will always put your needs first. We work tirelessly to get our clients the outcomes they deserve. You are more than a case to us. When we partner together to win justice after a tragedy, we become family.
Contact Thomas Law Offices’ team of Cincinnati personal injury attorneys today. The first step will be to set up a free consultation on your schedule. Bring your questions. You’ll have the opportunity to sit down with a real attorney to discuss the details of your case and how to move forward.
We don’t charge by the hour, and we don’t demand any upfront fees. After your first meeting with Thomas Law Offices, you’ll have the information you need to take the legal action that can change your life.
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