New Jersey Negligent Security Lawyer

Experienced Premises Liability Attorneys Advocate for Victims of Crimes Caused by Negligent Security Across New Jersey

New Jersey property owners have a legal duty to make sure their property is safe for customers, guests, and other invited visitors. This legal duty is called “premises liability” in legal circles. An often-overlooked element of this duty is the requirement that the property owner takes reasonable steps to provide security when needed to keep you safe. For more than 60 years, the highly experienced personal injury lawyers at Team Law have been focused on one common goal: fighting to help New Jersey accident victims get the compensation they deserve for injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.  Each New Jersey negligent security lawyer at our firm is passionate about protecting the rights of clients injured because of a property owner’s negligent security provisions. We fight to get full compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Certain neighborhoods in New Jersey are more dangerous than others—and nobody is better equipped than a property owner to understand the dangers posed by conditions in their own neighborhood.  If you were injured because of a criminal act that took place on someone else’s property, that property owner may owe you financial compensation.

To learn more about New Jersey premises liability law and our firm in general, schedule a free case review to tell us how you were injured. 

What is Negligent Security Under New Jersey Law?

Determining what qualifies as “negligent security” is a fact-intensive issue.  The level of security that a property owner must provide to satisfy New Jersey legal standards can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood.  Conditions in the neighborhood in question—and whether crimes are common in the area—are necessary facts that must be discovered to determine whether the security provided was adequate. 

Negligent security is a concept that generally becomes relevant in a commercial environment.  Negligent security claims can arise based upon crimes that cause injury in:

• Bars
• Restaurants
• Stores
• Parking lots and parking garages
• Shopping malls
• Hotels
• Residential apartment complexes
• Airports
• Amusement parks
• Sports arenas
• Schools and daycares

The history of criminal activity in the area where the establishment is located is a key indicator of the types of security that will be considered “adequate” under the circumstances.  Examples of what might constitute negligent security include:

• A store owner’s failure to install adequate lighting in the parking lot or parking garage,
• A landlord’s failure to make sure proper locks are installed on residents’ doors,
• A mall’s failure to provide adequate security guards throughout the property,
• The property owner’s failure to make sure security guards are properly trained, both with respect to keeping criminals off the property and in using the appropriate amount of force in providing protection,
• Failure to install and monitor security cameras where appropriate,
• Failure to install proper alarms,
• Failure to install fences or gates.

The key question to ask in any case involving negligent security is whether the crime was foreseeable, and so could have been prevented by implementing reasonable security measures.

Understanding the Negligence Concept in Negligent Security Cases

To recover compensation based on New Jersey premises liability law, a dedicated New Jersey negligent security lawyer at Team Law will investigate to establish whether the property owner was negligent.  If a reasonable person would have taken additional measures to provide adequate security, the property owner may owe compensation to anyone harmed as a result of their negligent security. 

To prove negligence, the following elements are relevant:

• The property owner had a duty to exercise reasonable caution to keep others safe,
• The property owner breached that duty by failing to install reasonable security,
• Negligent security was the cause of your injury, and
• You suffered damages because of the injury.

As the plaintiff in a negligent security case, it is your lawyer’s responsibility to prove these elements based on a “preponderance of the evidence” standard.  This means showing that it is more likely than not that your injury would have been prevented if the property owner had taken reasonable security precautions.

If the property owner failed in this duty, you may be entitled to compensation for:

• Past and future medical care,
• Past and future lost wages, employment benefits and more (including compensation for housekeeping and child-care expenses),
• Any treatments associated with your injury, including rehab, physical therapy and corrective surgeries,
• Pain and suffering,
• Emotional distress,
• Punitive damages where the property owner’s actions were especially shocking.

Schedule a Free Case Review with a Skilled Negligent Security Attorney at Team Law Today

If you were injured because of a criminal act that took place on or around some type of commercial establishment, speak with an experienced New Jersey negligent security lawyer as soon as possible. Landlords and property owners tend to take corrective steps soon after someone was injured in a criminal act on their property.

At Team Law, our experienced New Jersey premises liability lawyers will investigate immediately to get the evidence needed to support your claim.  To schedule your free case review and discuss legal options in your case, call our office or contact us online today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Negligent Security Claims in New Jersey