When a business or apartment building lacks adequate security, it places the safety of residents and visitors at risk. Without proper security measures, there is a greater chance of being targeted for crimes like robbery, physical assault, or sexual assault. If you were injured or attacked on another person’s property in Maryland, the property owner, security companies, and others may be liable. When negligent security leads to a personal injury, the victims have a right to seek compensation.
At Rice, Murtha & Psoras, we have extensive experience helping injury victims fight for compensation. Our Maryland negligent security lawyer can assess your situation to determine whether you may have a case. For a free legal consultation, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291, or contact us online. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist with injury claims and wrongful death claims throughout Maryland.
What is Negligent Security?
Landowners and property owners have a broad legal duty that requires them to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of residents, guests, and visitors. For example, dangerous property conditions like broken stairs and icy walkways must be repaired or removed in a timely fashion.
Along with repairs and maintenance, property owners must also supply adequate security. For example, doors must have functional locks, lighting must be sufficiently bright, and security staff (such as nightclub staff) must have proper job training.
When a landowner or property owner carelessly fails to meet these types of standards, and a tenant or visitor gets injured as a result, it may be cause for the victim to file a premises liability lawsuit. A premises liability claim is a type of personal injury claim that deals with unsafe property conditions or defects.
What Types of Injuries Are Caused by Inadequate Security?
When security guards lack proper training and experience, or are absent from their posts, it greatly increases the risk of a preventable crime or attack. These types of injuries can occur in residential settings like apartment complexes, or at places of business, such as nightclubs, restaurants, bars, malls, movie theatres, casinos, or banks.
Depending on how the attack occurred, whether a weapon was used, and other factors, the victim can sustain extremely serious injuries. At Rice, Murtha & Psoras, our negligent security injury attorney handles a wide range of claims, including but not limited to cases involving:
- Back injuries and spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Bite marks or scratch marks, which can also become infected
- Bone fractures (broken bones)
- Cuts, scrapes, and bruises
- Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Dislocated joints
- Facial injuries, such as a broken nose
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Joint injuries, such as a pelvic fracture (broken hip)
- Internal injuries or organ failure
- Loss of a finger, toe, or limb
- Paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia (tetraplegia)
- Permanent disability or impairment (physical or cognitive)
- Permanent scarring
- Torn ligaments
- Soft tissue injuries, such as a sprain injury
- Stab wounds or gunshot wounds
- Wrongful death
What Damages Are Available in a Negligent Security Case in Maryland?
When a person is injured due to the negligence of another, he or she generally has a right to pursue “damages,” or compensation, for a range of financial and non-financial losses. However, to preserve this right, it is essential to file the case before the statute of limitations expires, or runs out of time. the Maryland personal injury statute of limitations is three years, which means you generally have three years from the date of your injury to file your claim. the same timeline applies to Maryland wrongful death lawsuits involving premises liability. If the statute of limitations expires, your claim will be barred, and your ability to recover compensation will be extremely limited.
Subject to the statute of limitations and other factors, various damages may be recoverable in a Maryland premises liability case. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Compensation for pain and suffering caused by the injury, including emotional distress and mental anguish
- Compensation for medical bills arising from injury treatment, including expenses that are expected to arise in the future (such as surgeries, medications, physical therapy, prosthetic devices, or other devices or procedures)
- Compensation for lost earnings and wages, including losses that you are expected to incur in the future due to long-term or permanent disability (known as “diminished earning capacity”)
- Compensation for burial and funeral expenses, in a case involving wrongful death
Call Our Maryland Attorney for Injury Caused by Negligent Security
If you were physically or sexually assaulted because of inadequate security at your apartment building, another residence, or a business that you visited, you should talk to an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney about your legal options. You may have a premises liability case for negligent security injuries in Maryland.
To discuss your potential claim confidentially in a free legal consultation, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291, or contact us online today.