Unfortunately, not all property open to the public is safeguarded for visitors. If you have had a crime committed against you on business property, such as a store, hotel, restaurant, or parking garage, and you suffered injuries or other damages as a result, you may have a claim for inadequate security. The property owner can face legal liability as a result of his or her failure to provide adequate security.
However, the property owner is not automatically liable just because you were injured by a criminal on the property. You must be able to show that a criminal action was foreseeable on the property, and that the owner failed to adequately take safeguards to protect against that criminal action. Property owners have a duty to be aware of likely criminal activity on the property and to take precautions to protect against that type of crime.
If there are a lot of cases of one type of crime on or near the property, the property owner has a duty to safeguard visitors. For example, if the neighborhood surrounding the property has had an increase in muggings, the property owner should take security precautions such as installing alarms, hiring security personnel, controlling access to their buildings, and installing exterior and interior lights.
Property owners are not responsible for all types of crime. If a crime could not have been foreseen, or if a property owner took proper precautions and a crime occurred anyway, the property owner may not be held responsible. Call Los Angeles premises liability attorney Conal Doyle of Doyle Law at 310-385-0567 if you believe that you were the victim of a crime because of the negligence of a property owner. Call to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.