If you were injured due to an assault or another criminal act at a hotel, nightclub, or other business establishments in North Myrtle Beach, you might be struggling with medical bills, lost wages, and the trauma that often accompanies a violent attack.
Businesses have a responsibility to take reasonable measures to provide a safe environment for guests. When they fail to do so because they have not put adequate security in place, they may be held liable for resulting injuries under the concept of negligent security.
At Jebaily Law Firm, we’re prepared to help you fight for the compensation and justice you deserve in an inadequate security claim. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced negligent security lawyer in North Myrtle Beach.
What Is Negligent Security?
A premises or business owner may be held legally liable when a guest is injured because the owner failed to provide a reasonably safe environment for guests by not employing adequate security measures to protect them.
Reasonably necessary security measures could include, for example:
- Providing sufficient parking lot, hallway, and stairway lighting
- Employing a sufficient number of security guards
- Deploying a sufficient number of properly placed security cameras
- Properly training staff
- Implementing policies that address privacy issues, such as not giving out room numbers, keeping track of keys, and changing out keycards
- Having adequate cybersecurity measures to protect guest information
- Performing background checks on prospective employees
- Maintaining alarm systems
A business or property owner has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect guests from an unreasonable risk of harm. If it is foreseeable that criminal or violent acts could occur on the property, the responsible party must take reasonable action to prevent them.
A criminal or violent act is considered foreseeable if a property owner has reason to believe it might happen, such as prior criminal incidents on the property or nearby businesses. However, a business owner may still have a duty to take reasonable action to provide security measures even if prior criminal incidents have not occurred on the property.
The test to determine whether the injured victim deserves compensation from the business owner involves balancing the degree of foreseeability of harm with the duty imposed. Under this test, the more foreseeable a crime was before the incident, the more extensive is the owner’s duty to provide security.
Why Should I Contact a Negligent Security Lawyer?
If you were injured on someone else’s property, you already have enough on your plate without having to figure out the legal issues involved in your case. Negligent security claims can be complex. An experienced negligent security attorney in North Myrtle Beach can help with things such as:
- Conducting a thorough investigation of the facts of your case
- Researching whether any other criminal activity has occurred at the business where you were injured or in the general area
- Determining whether you have a viable case
- Filing your claim in the appropriate court to best position it for success
It is important to begin the investigation as soon as possible and gather any surveillance footage that may not be saved for long.
The experienced and determined North Myrtle Beach inadequate security lawyers at Jebaily Law Firm focus on results. We provide the highest level of care for clients. Finding out if we can help with your claim is free.
Common Examples of Negligent Security
Negligent security can take many different forms. Common examples of negligently inadequate security include:
- Failing to employ security guards
- Untrained security guards
- Lack of security cameras
- Broken security cameras
- Inadequate lighting
- Unlocked gates or doors
- Broken fencing
- Blocked emergency exits
- Failing to investigate the background of a prospective employee
How Can Negligent Security Affect Me?
If you were injured because of negligent security practices, you might have suffered:
- Medical bills
- Permanent and disabling injuries
- Emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Social isolation and withdrawal
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost wages
- Financial loss due to theft
In addition to the more tangible effects of negligent security, acts of violence such as sexual assault often leave victims with a sense of helplessness and devastation. You should not be left facing these challenges alone when someone else is responsible. You may be entitled to compensation from the owner of the business or property where your injury occurred.
Injuries Associated with Negligent Security
A few examples of injuries associated with negligent security include:
- Fractured bones
- Head trauma and brain damage
- Gunshot wounds
- Stab wounds
- Punctures and lacerations
- Internal injuries
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Other sexual and reproductive injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Emotional injuries
- Pain and suffering
The full extent of your injuries following a negligent security incident may not be immediately apparent. Experts may be required to project the future costs of your injuries.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Negligent Security in North Myrtle Beach?
Lack of proper security frequently leads to injuries at businesses and properties such as:
- Hotels
- Parking garages
- Clubs and bars
- Apartment complexes
- Shopping malls
- Grocery stores
- Movie theaters
- Office buildings
The owners of these properties can be held liable for negligent security through legal action, which can provide victims with compensation for losses, including medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and trauma.
What Is the Statute of Limitations on a Negligent Security Case?
The statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a legal claim. For negligent security claims in South Carolina, the statute of limitations is three years from the date you were injured. Failure to file your claim before the deadline will almost certainly result in the courts throwing your claim out, leaving you with no recourse to pursue compensation. Only narrow and rare exceptions can extend the filing deadline.
Contact Our North Myrtle Beach Negligent Security Attorneys Today
The negligent security lawyers at the Jebaily Law Firm have the experience, determination, and resources to best position you to obtain the compensation you deserve. Because initial consultations are free, there is no cost to learn more about your options at this difficult juncture.
Contact us now to get started with a free consultation.
Negligent Security Lawyer FAQs
Negligent Security Lawyer
Can a business be held responsible for criminal acts committed by someone else?
A business may be held responsible when a foreseeable crime occurs on its property due to a security failure. Negligent security claims often hinge on whether the property owner knew or should have known about prior crimes, safety risks, or dangerous conditions that increased the likelihood that the property would be the site of criminal activity. If the business knew or should have known about such risks and failed to take reasonable steps to protect visitors, it may be liable for injuries caused by criminal acts.
How do I prove a negligent security claim?
Proving a negligent security claim requires you to show that the property owner owed you a duty of care, that they failed to provide appropriate security, and that their failure contributed to your injuries. That may involve showing that the crime was foreseeable based on prior incidents, complaints, or known dangers on the same property.
What evidence is important in a negligent security case?
Various types of evidence may be useful for showing what the property owner knew and whether a more attentive approach to security could have prevented the incident that caused you harm. Some types of evidence you may gather include:
- Police reports and prior crime records
- Security camera footage
- Incident reports from the business
- Witness statements
- 911 calls or other emergency records
- Photos of lighting, locks, gates, or cameras
- Employee training records
- Company security policies
- Maintenance requests or complaints about unsafe conditions
How long does a negligent security case usually take?
How long a negligent security case takes to resolve depends on the unique facts of the case – particularly the severity of the injuries and the extent of the investigation needed – and on whether it settles or goes to trial.
Some negligent security cases may be resolved in several months. Others can take longer if the business or its insurer disputes liability or if multiple parties are involved. An attorney from Jebaily Law Firm can help you understand the possible timeline after reviewing the evidence and determining the full impact of your injuries.
How much does it cost to hire a negligent security lawyer?
The negligent security attorneys at Jebaily Law Firm work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing up front, and we get paid only if we recover compensation for you. Our fees are deducted from the amount recovered, so you never pay us out of pocket. We can review our fee agreement and answer any questions you may have during your free initial consultation.
How can a lawyer investigate a negligent security case?
Jebaily Law Firm will look beyond the criminal incident itself and review what the property owner knew or should have known before it happened. We can gather police reports, prior crime data, surveillance footage, incident reports, maintenance records, witness statements, and other evidence. We can also inspect the property for security risks like broken locks, poor lighting, missing cameras, unsafe entrances, or a track record of ignored complaints.
In some cases, we may also enlist security consultants to help evaluate whether the business used reasonable safety measures. Our goal is to show whether stronger security might have reduced the risk of harm and whether the owner failed to act sooner.
