If you were attacked because a property owner failed to install adequate security, you could be entitled to compensation. Businesses, landlords, and others in Savannah, GA, have certain legal duties. An experienced Savannah negligent security lawyer can help you fight for full compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Our team at Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers has been working hard to protect injury victims across Savannah since 2012. We bring over ten years of legal experience to the table in every case we accept.
To date, we’ve been successful in 95% of our injury cases. That’s a track record you can count on. To learn more, contact our law firm in Savannah, Georgia, at (912) 335-1909 to schedule a free consultation.
How Can Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers Help You Recover Compensation For a Negligent Security Claim in Savannah, GA?
Victims of violent crimes are often surprised to learn that someone other than their attacker may be financially responsible for their losses. After all, your attacker–and your attacker alone–was the person who chose to commit a crime.
You were only allowed onto the property so the owner could make a profit. That means they have certain responsibilities. You shouldn’t have to worry about being attacked.
Your experience could have been different if the property owner had bothered to install basic security. If they ignored their duties, our Savannah personal injury attorneys can help you fight for fair compensation.
When you hire our team at Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers, you can count on us to:
- Compile any evidence that can be used to prove your case
- Evaluate the property and neighborhood
- Analyze crime reports and maps
- Determine the security measures that would have been reasonable
- Locate evidence to prove the owner failed to take reasonable precautions
- Evaluate your damages and calculate your case value
- Identify all sources of insurance compensation
- Negotiate for a full and fair settlement
A business failed to take reasonable steps to keep you safe. Now, you’re struggling in the aftermath. Our Savannah personal injury lawyers are here to help, so give us a call to discuss your case today.
What Is Negligent Security in Georgia?
Georgia premises liability laws impose certain duties on businesses and other property owners. When they allow others onto the premises, owners must generally keep their properties reasonably safe. That means much more than simply keeping the premises free of slip and fall hazards.
Property owners must also take adequate security precautions to prevent reasonably foreseeable criminal attacks. Why? Adequate security greatly decreases the risk that customers and visitors will be attacked.
When visitors are injured or killed because of negligent security, the owner can be liable for damages.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win a Negligent Security Case in Savannah?
Of course, if preventing all criminal attacks was possible, those attacks wouldn’t happen. Property owners aren’t responsible for preventing all criminal activity on their premises. Premises liability laws only impose liability when the owner was somehow negligent.
Proof of negligence in these cases requires establishing the following elements:
- You were lawfully on the premises, so the owner had a legal duty of care
- The criminal attack was reasonably foreseeable, given the circumstances
- The owner failed to install adequate security that could have prevented the attack
- You suffered damages, including injuries and other identifiable losses
Establishing liability in negligent security cases is far from simple. Ultimately, these cases tend to hinge on what a reasonable person would have done under the circumstances.
How Do I Know Whether the Owner’s Security Precautions Were Reasonable?
Negligent security claims are incredibly fact-specific.
What constitutes “adequate security” can vary dramatically depending on the facts, including:
- Any history of violent criminal activity in the neighborhood
- The local crime rate
- The nature of the property itself
- The likelihood that this type of business would be targeted by criminals
- The types of customers that tend to be attracted to the type of business
What constitutes “reasonable security” for a nightclub would be significantly different from “reasonable security” in a daycare setting. Rental apartment landlords in high-crime areas should reasonably be expected to take stronger protections when compared to safer neighborhoods.
Depending on the facts, examples of the types of security measures that businesses might consider include:
- Making sure all locks are working
- Hiring security guards and bouncers
- Installing security cameras
- Responding promptly to security alerts
- Providing adequate lighting and installing floodlights
- Installing locked gates and fences
- Training employees to recognize and respond to security threats
In the end, the law assumes that the property owner is in the best position to understand safety concerns on their own premises.
What Is the Value of My Savannah Negligent Security Case?
The value of your personal injury claim depends on the facts and circumstances. Though cases involving severe and catastrophic injuries tend to be worth the most, the calculation is often more complicated.
Factors that can impact your case value include:
- The suffering and trauma you have endured
- Your likelihood of making a full recovery
- Medical treatment costs and other injury-related expenses
- The nature of the property owner’s acts or omissions
- How the injury has impacted your earnings and future earning capacity
Contacting an experienced Savannah negligent security attorney is the best way to understand your case value. Remember, the property owner or insurance company may offer a fast settlement. That typically means they want to get your case off their plate. It doesn’t mean the offer is fair.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Victims of Negligent Security in Savannah, Georgia?
Like any personal injury victim, you can seek compensation for your economic damages and non-economic damages.
Some common examples of the losses you may have experienced include:
- Medical expenses
- A need for future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health counseling
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- PTSD and fear
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of companionship
While punitive damages may be available if your attacker is the defendant, they’re rare. Most negligent security cases don’t involve the property owner’s intentional wrongdoing. However, when they are available, our lawyers will pursue every available dollar.
In all cases, you shouldn’t be surprised when the other side tries to downplay the extent of your injuries. Because negligent security cases are so fact-specific, it’s critical to have an experienced attorney on your side. Without skilled legal representation, you always risk settling for less than you deserve or walking away with nothing at all.
What Happens If the Property Owner Is Blaming Me for the Attack?
While it may seem unimaginable, insurance companies often try to blame victims for their own injuries. That includes victims of violent crimes. They may claim that you weren’t careful enough or ignored warning signs. Blaming the victim is often a tactic designed to scare you into backing down.
Even if you do share some blame, you don’t lose your right to compensation unless your share of fault reaches 50% in Georgia. Assuming the owner has any evidence to suggest you could have prevented the attack, your compensation will be reduced if your share of fault is less than 50%.
How Much Does it Cost To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Savannah?
Our personal injury attorneys at Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. We only charge attorney’s fees when we recover compensation in your case. The fees are a percentage of your settlement or verdict.
Violent Crimes Often Leave Victims Struggling With Severe–and Preventable–Injuries
Our lawyers in Savannah handle all types of negligent security cases, including those involving:
- Facial injuries
- Dental injuries
- Severe bruising
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Chest injuries
- Internal injuries
- Genital injuries
- Unwanted pregnancy or STDs in sexual assault cases
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Our team will also consider the emotional trauma you have experienced because of the attack. The trauma of the experience could haunt you for years to come–and impact your life in unexpected ways. These intangible impacts can be just as life-changing as the physical pain you have endured.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After an Attack on Someone Else’s Premises in Georgia?
The statute of limitations for most Georgia personal injury cases is two years (with some exceptions). Under Georgia law, you forfeit your right to pursue compensation if you wait longer than two years to take legal action.
Two years may seem like a long time. Remember that the property owner could make significant changes after an attack occurs. Evidence might disappear and witnesses can forget. Consulting a lawyer sooner rather than later is always a good idea–especially because most personal injury law firms offer free consultations.
Call a Skilled Savannah Negligent Security Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Are you a victim of assault or sexual assault in Savannah, GA? Did the attack occur on someone else’s property? Contact an experienced Savannah negligent security attorney at Bowen Painter Injury Lawyers to learn about your legal options. Your case review is always completely free.