What Is Negligent Security?

Understanding Negligent Security Claims in Idaho

The feeling of security is important to everyone, especially when you’re in a public place or on vacation. Whether you are strolling through a shopping mall, working at an office, staying in a hotel or Airbnb, or simply walking down the street, you rightfully expect a level of safety and protection from your surroundings. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and some businesses and individuals fail to provide adequate security measures to protect their guests or property.

Such negligence can result in physical harm, psychological trauma, or even death, leaving the victim with both physical and emotional wounds that can last a lifetime. In this blog post, we will discuss what negligent security is, how it can affect you, and what your options are if you have been a victim of negligent security in Idaho.

Negligent security involves the breach of a property owner’s obligation to provide adequate security measures to protect people on their property. This breach can involve:

a failure to repair or maintain existing security systems,
inadequate staffing or training of security personnel,
failing to update software regularly
not having an incident response plan in place,
inadequate lighting on a property,
faulty (or a lack of) door and window locks,
ease of access to the property by non-guests,
a complete absence of security measures, or
other negligent actions concerning securing a property.

Negligence can also occur when the property owner fails to warn guests of known dangers or criminal activity on the premises. Even if the property does provide some security measures, insufficient measures can still constitute negligence, particularly if the operator knows or should have known that their security measures were likely to be insufficient.

Examples of Negligent Security Claims

You may be able to pursue an inadequate security claim after suffering injuries in an assault, rape, robbery, or another violent crime that occurs on someone else’s property. For instance, a claim may arise if a person is:

Robbed at an ATM that doesn’t have working security cameras or adequate lighting.
Injured in a gas station robbery where they failed to improve their security measure after several robberies and carjackings occurred.
Sexually assaulted in their hotel room because of faulty locks and a lack of security concerning keeping those who are not guests off of the property.
Mugged in the mall parking lot because of inadequate lighting and unmaintained shrubs that allow people to hide.

How Can Negligent Security Incidents Affect You?

Negligent security can have severe physical and emotional consequences for victims. In serious cases, victims may be subject to physical assaults, sexual assaults, or danger from weapons. A lack of security can also result in theft, property damage, or other types of harm.

Even when no physical harm is inflicted, a victim can suffer severe psychological and emotional scars that can require years of treatment to overcome. Such conduct on the part of property owners is simply unacceptable and must be addressed accordingly.

Damages in Negligent Security Claims

Negligent security claims can result in both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that are quantifiable, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages are more subjective and include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of companionship or consortium.

Get Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered unnecessarily because of negligent security, it is important to seek legal representation promptly. At May, Rammell & Wells, we have experienced attorneys who are focused on providing our clients with high-quality legal counsel.

Once you retain our services, our attorneys can help you calculate your damages, establish liability, collect evidence, and make informed case decisions. Some of the important questions we will ask while building your case are:

What are the current crimes rates in the area where the incident occurred?
Does the property have a history of having crimes, especially those of a similar nature, occurring, and did they make adequate changes in response to that criminal history?
What security measures, if any does the property have, and do other properties in the area have more advanced measures in place?
Were the security measures (i.e. cameras, locks, security guards, etc.) in good working order?

Contact us today online or via phone at (208) 623-8021 to learn more about our services. Together, we can fight for the compensation you deserve.