Did you know that property owners have a legal obligation to ensure that their locations provide adequate security measures to their visitors? While sometimes getting robbed, assaulted, or victimized in other ways is unavoidable, there are cases when the crime is a direct result of failing to take these measures.
Failures could look like:
- A failure to provide adequate lighting
- A failure to install or repair security systems or cameras
- A failure to repair broken locks or window latches
- A failure to repair broken windows or doors
- Broken buzzers or gate systems
- A failure to screen tenants in apartment buildings
- A failure to staff adequate security personnel in high-crime areas, or at high-volume events.
Inadequate security cases arise quite often in New York because many apartments are marketed with security features that are allowed to break down. If you are paying rent to have a doorman and a buzzer at your New York City apartment and the landlord fails to replace the doorman after they quit or the buzzer after it breaks down, and this results in a crime that causes you injury, you might well have grounds to sue that landlord.
In order to prove inadequate security liability:
- The crime must be foreseeable, based on a history of criminal activity on the premises or in the neighborhood.
- The property owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the crime, or failed to maintain security measures that were already in place.
- You were the victim of a crime as a result.
- You suffered harm and loss as a result of being a victim of the crime.
If the incident took place on public property and the city was responsible for the negligence then you have just 90 days to file a claim. You have two years to sue a private entity, but there’s rarely any benefit in waiting. By moving fast you can preserve and secure vital evidence in your case.
If you are a victim of a crime your first call should, of course, be to the police. Obtaining medical care should be your second concern. Just save your medical records and police report for later—you’ll need them when you need to launch your personal injury case.
As with any personal injury case, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. You could also be eligible for a pain and suffering award based on the trauma, pain, and losses to your quality of life that you’ve been through as a result of the property owner’s negligent actions.
Proving inadequate security isn’t always easy, as it does involve a level of guesswork on the property owner’s part. Fortunately, when you contact our law firm you get outstanding representation on your side that can help you make a case for why the property owner was the negligent source of your suffering. Contact us to schedule a case review today.
See also:
How Does The Burden of Proof Work in an NYC Personal Injury Case?
Resources for Personal Injury Clients in NYC
What to Do When Your New York Landlord Isn’t Making Repairs
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Meet Mr. Richman
SCOTT B. RICHMAN, ESQ.
Mr. Richman is the Managing Member and Founder of Richman Law Firm PLLC. In his role as Managing Member, Mr. Richman oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm and handles the litigation of the most complex legal matters across a vast array of practice areas and disciplines.
