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(972) 854-7900
Available 24/7
(972) 854-7900
Property owners in Denton have a responsibility to keep their premises safe for customers and other visitors. This includes taking appropriate measures to deter foreseeable crime.
If you were the victim of a criminal act at a store, restaurant, theater, mall, apartment complex, or another kind of premises, you could file a claim for damages against the owners or managers of the property with the help of a premises liability attorney. Speak with our Denton negligent security lawyers to better understand your right to pursue compensation.
People who invite others onto their property for business purposes have a heightened responsibility to keep their premises safe. If crime is reasonably foreseeable in a certain area, business owners therein must take steps to actively prevent it. If someone suffers an injury on someone else’s property due to lacking security measures, the landowner could be found negligent.
However, determining liability is rarely so simple, as many commercial property owners lease their premises to others. In general, the party who controls access to a premises has a responsibility to maintain its safe condition. If the owner or operator hired a company to provide security to a property, the security company might also be at fault. If an employee who works on the premises committed a crime, the owner could be liable.
A knowledgeable Denton attorney area could examine the facts of a particular case to determine whether multiple parties bear liability for an injured party’s losses for having insufficient security.
Property owners or operators are not automatically responsible for the criminal acts of third parties. The victim of a crime in a negligent security case must prove that the owner or operator of the premises failed to take reasonable steps to protect visitors from foreseeable harm.
This requires proof that the defendant could reasonably anticipate a crime. Evidence of crime in the area in recent months could be enough to establish foreseeability. If the defendant had actual or constructive notice of a heightened risk of crime on the property, they have a duty to act.
An injured party also must demonstrate that the defendant exposed them to an unreasonable risk of harm. Their attorney could investigate whether security measures were adequate and implemented effectively to deal with the risk and whether equipment such as flood lights and security cameras were maintained properly. If not, the defendant might be negligent and therefore held liable for the injured person’s damages.
A skilled lawyer could review the crime scene to determine whether a defendant left their Denton property with insufficient security and thereby contributed to the claimant’s injuries.
Denton crime victims should consult an injury attorney soon after the incident if they suspect negligent security might have played a role. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 gives injured people two years to seek damages for personal injuries in most circumstances.
Apart from two-year filing deadline, it is advisable to begin gathering evidence of negligent security as soon as possible with the help of a diligent Denton attorney, including:
An injured party does not need to wait until the police have arrested a perpetrator to begin a negligent security lawsuit and should instead take legal action sooner rather than later.
If you were the victim of a crime, you already have a lot to deal with. You may be healing from physical injuries and trying to cope with emotional trauma resulting from the incident. Knowing that this situation could have been prevented if property owners were more responsible only makes matters worse.
Our Denton negligent security lawyers could help you seek justice in the form of financial compensation. Schedule a consultation today to learn more.
McCraw Law Group
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