Were you attacked on someone else’s property in St. Louis, Missouri? Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers can help when you contact us at (314) 444-4444. We offer a free consultation with a St. Louis negligent security lawyer who can evaluate your case and explain your options for seeking compensation.
Property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. If they failed to provide adequate security and you were harmed as a result, you may have the right to hold them accountable. Contact our St. Louis office today to learn more about your legal rights.
Why Should I Call Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers for Help With a Negligent Security Claim in St. Louis?
If you were harmed due to inadequate security on someone else’s property in St. Louis, MO, the right legal team can make all the difference. Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers has the experience, reputation, and results to take on insurance companies and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Here’s why so many clients trust us after an attack:
- Our attorneys bring more than 100 years of combined experience in personal injury law, with a deep understanding of negligent security claims.
- We’ve secured over $100 million in settlements and verdicts for injury victims throughout our years in practice.
- Our firm has been honored by some of the top organizations in the legal field, including The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers.
- We are proud members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a distinction reserved for attorneys who’ve achieved substantial results for their clients.
- With more than 1,000 five-star Google reviews, our clients consistently praise the personal attention and powerful advocacy they received.
Don’t let the insurance companies take advantage of you. Call our St. Louis personal injury attorneys to start fighting for a fair financial award today.
What Is Negligent Security?
Negligent security is a type of premises liability claim. Business owners in Missouri are subject to certain duties. They must keep their property reasonably safe for customers and invited guests. That includes a duty to provide adequate security.
You probably know that property owners can be held liable when dangers on their premises lead to slips and falls. The same concepts apply when it comes to security. Inadequate security can create a danger. The owner has a duty to take reasonable precautions to reduce the risk.
What Is My Negligent Security Case Worth?
Calculating the value of a personal case can be challenging. It’s made even more difficult by the fact that the insurance company will be pushing to minimize your case value.
Relevant factors that our lawyers will consider as we’re determining your case value include:
- The type of injury you’ve suffered
- The amount of your medical costs
- The circumstances of the attack
- How the injury impacts your earnings
- How the injury impacts your quality of life
- Whether you’ll experience an ongoing reduction in income
- Whether you’ll have ongoing costs and medical bills
- Your personal suffering and damage to your mental health
- Available insurance coverage
An accurate calculation is critical. You’ll have only one chance to recover compensation to cover all losses you’ve experienced. That includes current and projected future costs.
Our attorneys take the valuation process seriously. We know how important the money you receive will be to your future. You can rest assured that we’ll collect evidence, engage expert witnesses as needed, and use our skillful negotiating tactics to fight for the maximum amount possible.
What Types of Compensation Are Available to Victims in a Negligent Security Case in St. Louis?
Compensatory damages are grouped into two categories in Missouri: economic damages and non-economic damages. Each is meant to cover a specific type of loss.
Economic damages deal with the financial expenses you’ve incurred because of the injury, including:
- Current medical bills and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost earning ability
- In-home care
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health treatments and therapies
- Property damage
A criminal attack can leave the victim struggling with significant pain and trauma. Non-economic damages are awarded to compensate for these personal losses. Examples include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- PTSD
- Reduced quality of life
- Scarring
- Fear
- Humiliation
- Damage to relationships
- Loss of consortium and other wrongful death damages in fatal injury cases
It’s highly unlikely that punitive damages will be available in a case against a negligent property owner. However, if you also pursue compensation against the attacker, courts may award punitive damages as punishment.
Who Can Be Liable for My Damages if I Was Attacked on Someone Else’s Property in St. Louis?
All property owners have an obligation to provide adequate security. The responsible party will depend on where your attack occurred, and might include:
- Colleges and universities
- Schools
- Daycare centers
- Landlords of rental apartment complexes
- Bars and nightclubs
- Parking garages
- Parking lots
- Office buildings
- Hotels
- Airports
- Shopping centers
- Sports complexes
- Entertainment venues and theatres
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
The bottom line is that you may deserve compensation anytime you were injured on someone else’s property. If you have questions about the negligent security laws in Missouri, call our law firm today. Your case review is entirely free of charge.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer To Handle My Negligent Security Case?
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers operates entirely based on contingency fees. With a contingency fee arrangement, the following are true:
- We only get paid when you get paid
- There are no fees unless we recover compensation
- You’ll never have to pay upfront fees to secure legal representation
One more expense is the last thing you need after a violent attack. With the contingency fee model, you can secure the legal help you need without worrying about added costs.
Negligent Security Can Leave Victims Struggling With a Range of Injuries
Failure to provide adequate security can have lasting consequences for the victim. At Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent clients with all types of injuries, including:
- Gunshot wounds
- Broken bones
- Facial injuries
- Dental injuries
- Stab-related puncture wounds and injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Paralysis and other catastrophic injuries
- Fatal injuries
If you were recently attacked while on someone else’s property, contact us today to learn about your legal options.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win a Negligent Security Case in St. Louis?
It can be helpful to break down the elements of your case so that you can understand the burden of proof in a negligent security case.
To hold the at-fault party responsible for compensation, you’ll have to prove:
- You were legally on the premises, triggering the owner’s duty of care
- The criminal act was reasonably foreseeable
- The owner failed to take reasonable security precautions to prevent the crime
- Adequate security may have prevented the attack
- You were injured and suffered damages due to the owner’s failures
Our lawyers are prepared to help you compile the evidence to prove each of the settlements.
How Do I Prove the Property Owner’s Security Was Inadequate?
One thing that can make negligent security cases challenging is that there’s no bright-line test for determining whether the owner’s security measures were “adequate”. It’s instead highly fact-specific.
What amounts to adequate security in one situation may constitute negligence in another. Appropriate security measures at a daycare center will be different from those that are necessary at a nightclub.
Some examples of negligent security include:
- Failure to hire security guards
- Inadequate lighting
- Failure to train employees on how to respond to threats
- Failure to install security cameras or respond to security threats
- Broken locks or gates
- Failure to provide adequate warnings about criminal threats in the area
The key is to remember that property owners are only responsible when they are negligent. Negligent security cases tend to hinge on what is “reasonable” under the circumstances.
What Evidence Can Be Used To Prove My Negligent Security Case?
Our lawyers assess multiple types of evidence when we’re building your case, including:
- Crime maps showing a history of violence in the area
- The nature of the business and the clientele it attracts
- The types of crimes that have occurred in the area
Building a negligent security case can take time and resources. Our St. Louis negligent security attorneys are prepared to invest both. You can rest assured that we’ll be doing everything possible to maximize the value of your claim while you focus on recovering.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit Based on Negligent Security in Missouri?
A five-year statute of limitations applies in Missouri personal injury cases. You’ll have five years from the date of the violent act to file a personal injury lawsuit. After five years have passed, you can no longer pursue compensation from the negligent property owner.
Five years may seem like a lot of time. That does not mean you should wait until time passes to consult an attorney. The evidence you need to support your case can quickly disappear–and the property owner may even install proper security once someone gets hurt.
Contact a Trusted St. Louis Negligent Security Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you were assaulted on someone else’s property in St. Louis, Missouri, call Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers to learn about your rights. An experienced St. Louis negligent security lawyer can help you pursue compensation from a negligent property owner.
There’s never any cost to learn about your legal options, so reach out for a free consultation today.
