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Chicago Negligent Security Lawyer
Being harmed by a crime on someone else’s property is an incredibly difficult and stressful situation, whether you were attacked at a bar, injured during a gas station robbery, or hit by a stray bullet from a mugging incident.
In many cases, the property owner should have known criminal activity could happen and could have done something to prevent it. If you have been injured because of inadequate security, you might be able to recover compensation through a premises liability claim for negligent security.
Our trusted Chicago negligent security lawyers at The Illinois Hammer Injury Attorneys can handle your claim and relentlessly pursue the maximum possible compensation. Contact us online or call 888-742-6637 today for a free case evaluation.
How Our Experienced Chicago Negligent Security Attorneys Can Help
We’ve spent over 30 years building a track record of hammering down insurance companies until they pay our clients what they deserve. Over that time, we have obtained more than $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients, including $100 million in premises liability cases.
Our Chicago team of attorneys are passionate about standing up for injury victims and are ready to handle every step of the claim process for you, including investigating the incident, building a case, negotiating a settlement, and fighting for you in court if necessary. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
We take a detailed and compassionate approach to legal representation. When we represent you, you are more than our client. We are your partner and look out for you, whether helping you find medical attention for your injuries or securing a same-day pre-settlement loan to cover injury-related expenses.
“Helping clients in their time of need, especially against the challenges posed by insurance companies, is what drives me. To let them know someone will stand up for them is profoundly important to me,” – Joseph J. Alguzzeh
Types Of Negligent Security Cases We Handle
If a crime is foreseeable on a property, the owner must take adequate measures to prevent harm to those legally on the premises. Negligent security claims can take many different forms. The types of cases we handle include:
Assault and Battery
Businesses are responsible for keeping their patrons safe from physical violence. If a bar or hotel doesn’t have bouncers or security personnel on duty and guests are threatened or attacked, the owners could be liable for negligent security.
Robbery and Theft
An apartment complex with broken locks or gates, inadequate surveillance systems, or other vulnerabilities can expose its residents to thefts or muggings. If the owner fails to correct these flaws and a robbery or other attack occurs, they might be liable for negligent security.
Sexual Assault
Inadequate lighting, lack of security cameras, faulty locks, and other security flaws can put innocent people at risk of sexual assault or rape. College campuses, hotels, and other public or private locations are responsible for maintaining safe environments and preventing sexual assault.
Vandalism
A property owner might be liable for failing to prevent vandalism in certain circumstances. For instance, a parking garage might lack an attendant or other security personnel, lack security cameras, or have poor lighting, allowing vandals to damage cars kept there.
Other Violent Crime
Businesses in or near violent crime hotspots can be liable for negligent security if they don’t take appropriate measures to keep patrons or guests safe. If a motel owner knows drug deals often take place near or on their property but doesn’t employ any security guards, they would be responsible for anyone hurt or killed in a shooting they failed to prevent.
What Compensation Can I Receive For a Negligent Security Claim in Chicago?
If you are injured because of negligent security, you may be able to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate for your quantifiable monetary losses, including the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Lost earning potential based on the severity of your injuries
Non-economic damages compensate for the subjective impacts on your life, including the following:
- Emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life activities
Punitive damages, an additional award intended to punish particularly bad behavior, might be available in cases where the property owner’s conduct was egregiously negligent, intentional, or malicious.
Who Is Liable in a Negligent Security Claim in Chicago?
Negligent security claims fall under the umbrella of premises liability law. Property owners have a responsibility to keep their premises safe for visitors. Specifically, they have a legal duty to prevent foreseeable criminal activity on their premises. When they neglect this duty of care and fail to take adequate security measures, they can be held liable for any injuries on their property resulting from criminal activity.
Most property owners or businesses won’t willingly accept liability unless you file a claim. If the party responsible for your injuries won’t cooperate, it’s crucial to hire an experienced Chicago negligent security attorney to press your claim and advocate for your interests.
How Can You Prove Negligent Security in Chicago?
Negligent security cases require you to establish the following four key elements:
- The property owner owed a duty of care to prevent foreseeable harm to those legally on the premises, such as apartment building residents, hotel guests, or retail store customers.
- The property owner breached that duty. For example, the owner failed to have a security guard posted at an apartment complex located in an area known for criminal activity, violating their duty to keep their tenants safe.
- The property owner’s breach caused harm to the claimant. If you were injured in a robbery at the apartment complex, you must show that the crime directly resulted from the owner’s failure to post a security guard.
- The claimant is entitled to damages as a result of the breach. You must show you’ve suffered compensable damages.
Chicago Negligent Security FAQs
What Is the Statute Of Limitations For a Negligent Security Claim in Chicago?
Illinois has a two-year deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit, starting on the injury date. However, claims for lost or damaged property have a five-year deadline.
Injured minors injured have until their 20th birthday to file a suit. The deadline is paused for claimants who are legally disabled or become legally disabled within the two-year period and does not resume until the disability ends.
Can I Be Partially At Fault For a Negligent Security Claim?
Illinois uses a modified comparative negligence standard for liability. Under this standard, you can only recover damages for an injury claim if you are 50 percent or less to blame for the accident. However, your damages will also be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault.
In a negligent security case, you might share some fault for your injuries if you did anything to place yourself at risk or failed to take reasonable steps to remove yourself from the situation.
Should I Represent Myself or Get an Attorney in a Negligent Security Claim?
While it’s possible to represent yourself, attempting to win a negligent security claim alone puts you at a significant disadvantage.
Since negligent security claims involve crime, building a strong case involves many moving parts. Collecting evidence and investigating the incident will be more complicated than most personal injury cases. Witnesses might be harder to find or less willing to testify, and the defendant might willingly share crucial security camera footage with you.
Hiring an expert Chicago negligent security lawyer means you won’t have to endure the stress of building a complex case alone. Your attorney can handle all facets of your claim so you can focus on healing and recovery.
If My Loved One Has Passed as a Result of Negligent Security, Could I Still Be Eligible To File a Claim?
If your loved one has died from a crime that occurred because of inadequate security, you might be eligible to recover damages in a wrongful death claim. In addition, your loved one’s estate might also be able to pursue compensation for the pain, suffering, and financial losses your loved one experienced before death.
Every case is unique, with its own complexities. A knowledgeable Chicago negligent security attorney can help you best understand your options and how to move forward with your claim.
You Call, We Bring the Hammer! Call Us For a Free Case Evaluation
If a property owner has failed to keep you safe, we’ll fight hard to make them pay for your losses. Call our capable Chicago negligent security attorneys today at 888-742-6637 for a free case evaluation. You won’t owe us anything unless we win you the compensation you deserve.
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134 North LaSalle Street
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Chicago, IL 60602
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