Baltimore Lawyer for Injuries Caused by Negligent Security
When you visit a place of business, the property owners are responsible for your safety. When inadequate security leads to an attack, assault, or another crime, the victims may be entitled to seek damages. If you were injured on another person’s property because of inadequate security, you could have a premises liability case against the property manager or other parties. Our Baltimore negligent security lawyer can evaluate your injuries to determine whether you have a claim.
Negligent security lawsuits in Maryland involve complex laws and regulations. Make sure you have legal help from a skilled and effective attorney for injuries caused by inadequate security. To set up a free legal consultation, contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras online today, or call (410) 694-7291 for 24/7 assistance throughout the Baltimore region.
What is Negligent Security?
Property owners and landlords have special responsibilities toward tenants and visitors. For example, property owners must perform maintenance and repairs, ensuring that buildings meet local safety codes and remain reasonably free from hazards or defects.
In addition to handling maintenance and repairs, property owners are also responsible for taking adequate security measures to protect guests or residents. For instance, it is essential for businesses or residences to have functioning locks and lights in entrances or common areas. Many businesses and apartment complexes also employ security guards. If not enough guards are on duty, or if the guards are improperly trained, serious crimes – and injuries – can occur.
When inadequate security leads to the injury or death of a guest, customer, or resident, the property owner or other parties could be liable. the victim, or his or her surviving loved ones, may have a right to seek compensation from the parties at fault for the death or injury. Personal injury cases that involve property hazards, including inadequate security, fall under an area of law known as “premises liability.”
What Types of Injuries Can Result from Inadequate Security?
When security guards are inattentive, inexperienced, or absent from their posts, it is easier for trespassers, robbers, and other criminals to target customers or residents. Other security failures – such as broken locks, malfunctioning surveillance systems, or burnt-out lighting in common areas – also increase the level of risk and danger.
Many types of injuries can result from a violent robbery, a sexual assault, or a home invasion caused by negligent security. Depending on the nature of the crime or attack, victims can be left with severe injuries or develop life-threatening complications, including:
- Bites and scratches
- Bone fractures (broken bones)
- Cuts, scrapes, and bruises
- Dislocated joints
- Eye injuries and vision loss
- Facial injuries, such as a black eye or broken nose
- Gunshot wounds
- Internal injuries
- Joint injuries, such as shoulder injuries
- Loss of limbs, fingers, or toes
- Paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia (tetraplegia)
- Permanent disability or impairment
- Permanent scarring
- PTSD, depression, or anxiety resulting from the attack
- Soft tissue injuries, like sprains and strains
- Stab wounds or puncture wounds
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Wound infections
What Compensation is Available for Negligent Security Injuries?
When negligent security results in a violent crime that targets a guest or resident, the victim may sustain extremely serious injuries. In some cases, the injuries may be permanently disabling or become life-threatening. This can have devastating effects on the victim and his or her family, not only physically, but emotionally and financially. While an assault may last just minutes, the effects of a negligent security injury can linger for decades.
As a victim of negligence, or as the surviving loved one of a wrongful death victim, you may have the right to pursue “damages,” or financial compensation, for your losses. Various types of damages may be available for a negligent security injury in Maryland, including but not limited to the following examples:
- Compensation for various medical costs, such as medical bills resulting from hospitalization, surgery, medication, physical therapy, prosthetic devices, medical implants, or other necessary treatments for your injuries
- Compensation for pain and suffering caused by your injuries, including emotional distress and mental anguish
- Compensation for lost wages and income, such as time you missed from work due to your injuries
- Compensation for future earnings that you are expected to lose due to a permanent impairment or disability (“diminished earning capacity”)
Baltimore Attorney for Injuries Caused by Negligent Security
If you were injured or assaulted because of inadequate security, or if you lost a loved one, our negligent security lawyer in Baltimore can help you take the next steps. An experienced and aggressive litigator, Randolph Rice is ready to fight hard for you and your family.
Serving injury victims throughout Baltimore, we are here to provide 24/7 assistance. If you think you may have a claim, we invite you to contact us for help. For a free legal consultation, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291, or contact us online today.
