Texas Negligent Security Attorneys
Whenever a company chooses to ignore red flags regarding the safety of its premises, any member of the public who sets foot there is at risk of serious injury or death. Most people do not think about the fact that land or business owners have a responsibility to protect the public that they invite onto their premises from the dangerous acts of others.
Let our Texas personal injury attorney give you an example. If a company wants you to come into their grocery store and buy their goods but does nothing about the group in the parking lot that robs every customer that walks out of the store, are you going to shop there? OR are you going to go to the parking lot that has great lighting and security officers patrolling, and you feel safe?
Inadequate security means the facility you are shopping or living at fails to provide you with adequate security to live or shop safely.
Where Are These Cases Most Frequent?
We typically see these types of cases involving dangerous apartment complexes, bars and clubs, restaurants that serve alcohol, nursing homes, and stores that sell goods (for example, a place like a Walmart, Target, and other grocery stores).
Types of Injuries That May Occur as a Result of Negligent Security
The possible injuries in a case like this range widely based on the actual type of incident. Take a look at a few examples of serious injuries that typically can occur:
- Brain injuries: A person could be hit in the head with something, have something thrown at them, or suffer damage from a blow to the face, causing numerous brain injuries, including traumatic ones.
- Spinal injuries: A fight, a motor vehicle-related accident, or other types of violent acts may lead to someone suffering debilitating spinal injuries, including those injuries that lead to impairment and mobility loss.
- Internal injuries: Weapons are a common cause of internal injuries, but even fists alone can cause lacerations and damage to organs and tissues, as can be hit with an object.
- Emotional injuries: It is not uncommon for these types of violent acts to also lead to emotional damage, including the development of mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and a lack of ability to enjoy life.
- Broken bones: It is not uncommon for a violent act to lead to broken bones, including legs, arms, hands, ribs, and other bones, often causing the need for long-term rehab.
- Eye injuries: Damage to the eye may lead to blindness or other complications to sight due to the actions of others.
What Can Apartment Complexes Do To Protect Us?
An apartment complex should have gates surrounding the property and limit the entrance of unwanted guests. The parking lots and buildings should be well-lit to prevent criminals from being able to easily hide. All doors and windows should have working locks. All alarm systems should be in working order. There should be security cameras that work and record. You do not only want a live feed system. This does not allow anyone to come in after the fact to see what should have been caught. Also, a live feed must be monitored. What happens when it is not? Security guards are a start, especially at night. However, off-duty police officers are typically better. They can alert the on-duty police earlier to the area and allow a faster response to their location than a typical 911 call would. Off-duty officers can also call in a warning to the police department and not be charged or penalized for it.
Why Are Restaurants or Bars/Clubs Dangerous in Texas?
Anytime you mix alcohol and humans, tempers can flare and fights can erupt. While most people are capable of having a great time in these environments and never causing harm, there are those few bad apples that can spoil it all for the rest of us. Do you want to take your family to a restaurant that allows violent people in the building? Any place that allows kids and families to dine or have fun needs to protect them from people who are out to hurt others.
What we have seen are bars and clubs that serve alcohol to minors. This creates an atmosphere that does not want attention. So, when a dangerous event occurs or a fight erupts, it is not brought to anyone's attention. Even worse, nothing is done to stop or prevent it from happening again.
What Does Our Office Look For In These Cases?
We want to know what the company knew could have happened at their place due to crimes in surrounding areas or prior events at their facility. We then want to know what the company should have known about what could happen on their property or at their facility. Then, we want to see what they did or should have done to prevent that from happening. It is really simple: did the company, whether in an apartment complex, store, or restaurant, provide adequate security to keep its employees and customers safe?
Here are a few examples of inadequate security cases:
- If someone was shot and killed as a result of a drive-by shooting that could have been prevented.
- If you were raped in a parking garage when the company knew that a rapist was on the loose in that parking garage but did not provide security or warn you prior to parking there.
- If a company allowed a fight club to exist on their premises and a loved one was jumped and beaten to death.
What to Do if You’re the Victim of Inadequate Security
If you’ve suffered an injury resulting from a violent act or another loss brought on by a lack of security, your first step is to get medical care. Even if you think you are okay, visit a medical provider. This may help you document what occurred and the type of injuries brought on specifically by the event.
Then, seek out help in several steps:
- Talk to the police. Be sure to file a police report documenting the incident in full.
- If possible, gather any witnesses' names and contact information – people you were with or anyone else around.
- If you're still at the scene, be sure to take photos of the area if it is safe. Do not put yourself in harm’s way during this process.
Once you receive care, call a personal injury attorney for immediate help. Don’t speak to the insurance company or anyone else about the incident until you talk to your attorney. This can help to preserve your right to compensation.
Contact Our Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Today
At The Button Law Firm, we spend a lot of our time and energy on these cases making our community safer. We want our clients and their families to live in safe apartment complexes. We want our clients and their families to go to safe restaurants or have a nice night out on the town without having to worry about a company that is an open invitation for crime to its customers or employees.
If you or a family member were injured or killed at an apartment complex, restaurant, bar, club, or any other company's premises, feel free to reach out to us for your free consultation and allow us to investigate your case for you. We take these cases seriously because they impact our community in so many different ways. We need to clean this epidemic up, and it can start today with your case. The Button Law Firm wants to help guide you – as we have helped guide many parents and families within Midland, Houston, Dallas, and the surrounding areas.
You can give us a call at (214) 699-4409 or email us at [email protected]. You can also contact us by filling out the form below or chatting with a member of our team.