When a violent act or crime occurs due to negligent security at the property, you may have the right to hold the property owner responsible for your injuries. A North Dakota premises liability lawyer can help you pursue the accountability and justice you deserve.
Contact Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., today for a free initial consultation to discuss how our firm can help you seek compensation for your medical bills, long-term care, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. With over a century of experience, our firm has worked tirelessly to provide informed legal advice and representation to injured North Dakota residents. We’re here to guide you through the tough times you face.
Understanding Negligent Security Under Premises Liability Law
A negligent security claim is a type of premises liability claim. A negligent security case may arise when a visitor to another party’s property suffers injuries inflicted by a third party, and the injured visitor seeks to hold the property owner liable for their injuries.
Although the law typically doesn’t hold people or businesses liable for the actions of third parties, a negligent security claim represents an exception to this rule because property owners are required to provide reasonable security measures to protect their visitors from foreseeable harmful acts of third parties.
What constitutes “reasonable security measures” depends on the foreseeable threat of criminal or violent activity that may occur at the property. For example, a business that may become the target of criminals, like an electronics or jewelry store, or a property with a recent history of criminal or violent activity, like a bar or club that has recently experienced fights among patrons, may need to implement more stringent security measures than other properties.
Common examples of negligent security include:
- Insufficient numbers of security personnel
- Inadequately trained security personnel
- Security personnel not performing duties or falling asleep on the job
- Broken or missing security cameras
- Broken or missing doors, gates, or locks
- Broken or inadequate lighting
- Missing or malfunctioning alarm systems
Common Locations for Negligent Security Incidents
Negligent security claims typically arise at commercial properties or other large buildings that may attract criminal or violent activity. Common places where negligent security incidents may occur include:
- Bars, clubs, and restaurants
- Shopping malls
- Department or electronics stores
- Banks
- Hotels
- Sports stadiums or arenas
- Office buildings
- Parking garages
- College dormitories
- Hospitals
- Apartment buildings or residential complexes
Injuries That Can Occur Due to Negligent Security
Criminal or violent activity can inflict various kinds of injuries or health complications on innocent property visitors. Examples of trauma that may occur in a negligent security incident include:
- Stab or gunshot wounds
- Lacerations and contusions
- Broken bones
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial injuries and scarring
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Fatal injuries
What Should You Do After Becoming the Victim of Negligent Security?
After getting hurt due to a crime or other violent activity facilitated by a property’s negligent security measures, you should take steps to protect your options for recovering compensation for your injuries and losses. Actions to take after a negligent security incident include:
- Report the incident to the property or business owner and request they preserve any surveillance footage.
- Seek immediate medical attention to document your injuries and begin treatment.
- Obtain copies of records of your medical treatment and rehabilitation.
- Keep all bills, invoices, or receipts of expenses you incur during your physical and emotional recovery.
- Gather your pay stubs if you need to take time off work during your recovery.
Finally, contact a premises liability lawyer at Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., as soon as possible to discuss the next steps we can take to get you the financial recovery and accountability you deserve.
Compensation Available in a Negligent Security Claim
In a negligent security claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for expenses or losses you suffer due to injuries inflicted by criminals or violent individuals. Your financial recovery can provide you with money for your:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
- Mental health therapy expenses
- Long-term disability care and replacement household services
- Lost wages and lost future earning capacity
- Physical pain
- Emotional trauma or distress
- Lost quality of life due to physical disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder, or visible scarring and disfigurement
How Long Do You Have to File a Negligent Security Claim?
Under North Dakota’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims, you typically have six years to file a lawsuit against a property or business owner for a negligent security claim. You can best protect your rights to compensation by speaking with a premises liability lawyer at Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., as soon as possible to ensure you can file your claims before applicable deadlines expire.
How Our Attorneys Can Help You Seek Financial Relief
When you have a negligent security claim against a property owner for injuries you sustained due to a third party’s criminal or violent behavior, the attorneys of Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., can help you pursue compensation and accountability. Let us handle the details of your case so you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery from a traumatic incident. Our firm will fight to maximize your financial recovery by:
- Thoroughly investigating your case to recover evidence supporting your negligent security claim, including surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony, crime scene photos and videos, and police reports
- Working with experts as needed to establish the inadequacy of the property owner’s security measures
- Documenting your injuries and losses to determine what compensation you deserve to recover
- Preparing and filing your insurance and legal claims
- Negotiating with insurance adjusters or corporate representatives to pursue a maximum settlement
- Taking your case to court and trial when necessary to demand a favorable result for your case
Contact Our Negligent Security Attorneys in North Dakota for a Free Consultation
If you suffered injuries due to negligent security on someone else’s property, you may have the right to hold the business or property owner accountable for your harm and loss. Contact Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., today for a free case evaluation with a premises liability lawyer to discuss your legal rights and options for seeking financial recovery and justice.
Pringle & Herigstad, P.C. is committed to supporting individuals in North Dakota, including Grand Forks, Minot, Fargo, Bismarck, Williston, Rugby, Devils Lake, Jamestown, and the surrounding areas. Our dedicated team is here to provide legal assistance and guidance to those facing the complex challenges that arise from these incidents.
