West Palm Beach Negligent Security Attorney

If you get injured in a bar or nightclub due to another party’s aggression, they may not be the only party held responsible for paying damages to you. Business owners have an obligation to uphold their duty of care, which means they must provide a safe environment for all those who enter, also called “invitees.” If an invitee becomes harmed in an attack or fight of some kind, that they did not initiate, not only will the aggressor be held liable, but the business owner can be too, if their premises are found to be unfit.

What Does Negligent Security Entail and How Does It Happen?

Not all premises liability cases involve accidental slips and falls. If a business does not take the necessary precautions to protect its clients from certain crimes, that business owner may be held accountable. One may think that the responsibility should fall solely on the shoulders of the individual who committed the crime, but the law does not always see it that way. Business owners know that by reducing spending on bouncers, adequate lighting, and other security measures, they are increasing the likelihood of crime taking place on their property.

Negligent Security Resulting in Robberies in West Palm Beach

Negligent security can result in a variety of types of robbery, such as strong-arm robbery (a robbery without the use of a deadly weapon), armed robbery (a robbery with a deadly weapon), and larceny (a robbery that involves no personal contact). In Palm Beach County, the number of reported robberies has decreased over the years: from 1,674 in 2017 to 1,274 in 2018 and further down to 1,128 in 2019.

Negligent Security Resulting in Assault in West Palm Beach

Businesses must also take precautions to make their premises safe from individual assault, such as bar fights and even murder. In 2023, Palm Beach County recorded 81 homicides, a 19% decrease from 100 in 2022, marking the lowest total in the past decade.

Negligent Security Resulting in Sexual Assault in West Palm Beach

And, of course, sexual assault is the biggest concern when creating a safe environment for invitees, as sexual assault is still currently the most prevalent serious crime that occurs daily. ​According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Uniform Crime Reports, in 2020, there were 8,369 reported forcible sex offenses in Florida. This category includes offenses such as forcible rape, attempted rape, forcible sodomy, and forcible fondling. Furthermore, thousands of other incidents go completely unreported. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) most recent report, approximately 26.8% of women in the United States have experienced completed or attempted rape in their lifetime. Businesses have an obligation to help prevent these tragic events from occurring. By failing to take action—such as allowing a poorly lit parking garage—they neglect their responsibility to prevent these events.

Security Measures That Need to Be Taken by Business Owners

Business owners and property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors and patrons. This duty not only refers to keeping the physical condition of the building in safe order but also to ensuring that proper security measures are in place to prevent criminal assaults from occurring on the property. Security measures may include bouncers, security guards, cameras, locks, key-card entry, and adequate lighting, among many others. If a business fails to have adequate security, patrons, and visitors may be the victims of bar fights, shootings, stabbings, sexual assault, or other attacks that result in serious injury. Contact our West Palm Beach Negligent Security attorneys today if you believe a Florida business has failed to implement proper security measures, leading to harm.

The following are types of properties that should have proper security measures:

  • Bars and nightclubs
  • Restaurants
  • Shopping malls
  • Parking garages and lots
  • Community centers
  • Schools and colleges
  • Apartment and condo complexes
  • Hotels and resorts
  • Cruise ships
  • Sports arenas

Establishments should increase security if they know there is a chance for patrons to become intoxicated and unruly. If owners fail to provide adequate security, they should be held fully liable for the losses of any victims of assaults or crimes.

Damages in Negligent Security Cases

Victims of violent crimes often suffer serious physical injuries including serious contusions, lacerations, fractures, traumatic brain injury, and more. These injuries can require extensive medical treatment, especially if the assault involves a knife or firearm. Treatment may include emergency trauma care, surgeries, hospitalization, rehabilitative therapy, and more. Some victims may sustain permanent disabilities, especially if they suffered a gunshot or stabbing to the head or neck area, causing severe damage to the brain or spine. Not only can treatment be costly, but victims often sustain further financial losses if they are unable to work during their recovery.

In addition to severe physical injuries, violent crime victims often suffer significant emotional distress and may develop a serious psychological condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Though PTSD is regularly associated with active duty military members in war zones, the condition can develop in anyone subject to a traumatic occurrence that either caused or threatened serious physical injury, such as an assault. PTSD can be debilitating and can cause a victim to be unreasonably fearful, anxious, depressed, withdrawn, angry, and many more symptoms that can make even everyday life difficult. Victims of assault due to negligent security not only have the right to recover for physical injuries but also for emotional distress and the cost of any psychological treatment needed.

Discuss Your Case with an Experienced West Palm Beach Negligent Security Attorney Today

If you have been the victim of a bar fight, stabbing, shooting, or any other type of violent assault because a business failed to have necessary security measures in place, you deserve to hold the owner of the establishment accountable for their actions. Victims of assault or sexual assault often incur substantial losses and the attorneys at the West Palm Beach law office of Pike & Lustig, LLP are committed to standing up for the rights of victims to fully recover. We efficiently handle your case and navigate the legal process on your behalf so that you can focus on your physical and psychological recovery. Please call our West Palm Beach negligent security attorneys for a free and confidential consultation at 561-291-8298 today.