Whenever a landowner allows other people to lawfully visit their property, they take on a duty of care toward those lawful visitors. This requires them to take reasonable precautions to keep their land in good, safe condition. In some situations, however, property owners have a legal obligation not only to rectify hazardous conditions promptly and to warn visitors about hazards that have yet to be addressed, but also to proactively prevent third parties from intentionally harming visitors or tenants.
If you were injured through an assault, robbery, or any other crime that your landlord failed to protect you from, you may have grounds to file suit over negligent security. However, claims like this can be prohibitively difficult to pursue without help from an experienced premises liability attorney. If you want to get the best possible outcome from your unique claim, contacting and retaining a Houston negligent security lawyer should be a top priority.
When Are Landowners Liable for Crimes on Their Property?
It’s essential to recognize that landowners don’t automatically assume legal liability for any criminal act that occurs on their property. Instead, as with other types of property liability lawsuits, landowners can be held liable for injuries they allow to happen through their own negligent property management. In this scenario, this involves them failing to take reasonable measures to prevent certain crimes from occurring on their land.
Typically, establishing valid grounds for a negligent security claim in Houston requires you—or your attorney—to prove that you were injured as a direct result of a specific criminal act, and that the crime was foreseeable, based, for example, on local crime statistics or previous instances of crimes of the same nature occurring on the same property. You will also have to prove that the defendant landowner nevertheless failed to take measures to protect tenants and visitors, such as putting up fences, installing security cameras, or hiring private security. Guidance from a seasoned attorney can be crucial to collecting evidence, constructing a comprehensive lawsuit or settlement demand, and effectively demanding restitution.
For a free legal consultation with a negligent security lawyer serving Houston, call (832) 449-8230
Recovering Fairly Within Filing Time Limits
Through a successful negligent security case, you’ll be able to recover for any economic and non-economic losses that you can trace directly back to your injuries or the crime that caused those injuries. These losses can include:
- Costs of medical treatment you have already received and that you can expect to need in the future because of your injuries
- Lost income or working capacity
- Lost or damaged personal property and other out-of-pocket expenses stemming from the crime
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and psychological trauma
However, you’ll need to start the legal process sooner rather than later, since state law typically gives you no more than two years to start a personal injury lawsuit after initially getting hurt. This deadline typically applies even if criminal proceedings against your prospective defendant are ongoing, but a negligent security lawyer in Houston can discuss possible extensions in the rare scenarios where they apply.
Houston Negligent Security Lawyer Near Me (832) 449-8230
Contact a Negligent Security Attorney in Houston for Help With Your Case
Under the right—or perhaps wrong—circumstances, a lack of security on private property can be just as dangerous as an unmarked wet floor, loose floorboard, or frayed electrical cord. Even worse, you may find that suing over negligent security is a lot more challenging than suing over other types of substandard property management, which can be far from simple on its own.
Fortunately, you have help available to you from our tenacious legal professionals who have a track record of positive results achieved on behalf of regular people like you. Call us today to learn what a Houston negligent security lawyer can do to help with your unique claim.
Call or text (832) 449-8230 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form