Negligent Security & Supervision

In certain situations, we need to leave the safety of our property – and even ourselves – in the hands of others.

Live events like concerts and sports, public places, bars and nightclubs, college campuses, and even residential areas like apartment complexes and condominiums are frequently patrolled by security guards to prevent the risk of injury and other crimes due to the actions of others.

But what if the security provided wasn’t enough – or worse yet, what if no security was provided? Negligent security accidents are caused by a lack of proper oversight or supervision on the part of the property owner, and are a disturbingly common source of injuries in Los Angeles today.

What constitutes negligent security or supervision?

In California, negligent security injuries are considered a type of premises liability. By their nature, injuries due to negligent security or a lack of supervision happen on property belonging to someone else, in situations where better security and oversight could (and should) have been provided for the guests and patrons of the event, area, or business. These injuries are typically caused by accidents in areas where properly-staffed security could’ve prevented the injured party from entering a dangerous area such as a construction site, or in incidents caused by other parties in public areas where the onsite staff was unable to prevent the incident from occurring. In certain cases, negligent supervision can also include injuries caused by unsafe buildings like apartments or hotels, where an injury was caused due to lack of care or maintenance on the part of the property owner. 

What are some examples of negligent security injuries?

Injuries from negligent security or negligent supervision can happen almost anywhere, and can be caused by both the property itself and the other guests or patrons if left unsupervised. A few of the more common examples of negligent security injuries include:

• Violent incidents at bars or nightclubs
• Attacks on subways, trains, buses, or other forms of public transportation
• Assaults in shared residential areas such as apartment complexes
• Injuries sustained at concerts or sporting events
• Injuries sustained inside malls or other places of business
• Injuries sustained due to inadequate safety measures like emergency exits

Whether the injury was caused by another party or by a lack of maintenance on the building itself, many injuries received in these types of situations could have been prevented by more attentive or widespread security such as properly-trained security guards, adequate lighting, and security devices such as cameras and signage.

Common injuries suffered by negligent security

What are my options if I have been injured by negligent security?

Similar to other types of personal injury claims, if you believe you have been injured due to a lack of proper onsite security, you can file a claim of negligent security. During this claim, you will need to be able to prove that the owner of the property is responsible for the lack of precautions that led to your injury. These factors can include:

• Provable negligence, in which the person in charge of safety at the venue or property the injury happened at failed to prevent the risk of danger
• Foreseeability, in which the property owner or landlord was aware of the risk of such an event and still did not provide the proper security resources to prevent it
• Adequate security measures, which can vary from case to case but represent the steps the premises could have taken to prevent your injury – and why they were ignored
• Duty of care, wherein the property owner had a legal obligation to provide the needed safety measures

If you are able to prove these during your claim, you may be able to seek damages for your injury.

Damages in a negligent security accident

In a claim of negligent security, you may be able to collect a number of damages for your injury such as:

• Medical expenses, both current and future
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• In-home assistance/care

These damages will vary depending on the exact nature of your case.

Contact a Los Angeles negligent security lawyer

Proving that negligent security was the cause of your injury can be a complicated matter, and to see through the various complexities you’ll need an attorney that can protect your best interests. The Wallace Firm has negligent security attorneys with the skill and talent you need to help get the compensation you deserve after a traumatic injury. Contact us today, and we’ll be on your side every step of the way.