What You Should Know About Negligent Security in Palm Beach County During the Holidays
Are you getting ready to do all of your holiday shopping? If you’re like most people, you would probably prefer to do it all online. However, there are a few things that still need to be shopped for in person. Most people in Boynton Beach and the surrounding area will probably do their shopping at a nearby mall.
What Counts as Negligent Security in Palm Beach County?
It’s a very good idea to stay on the lookout for security issues at your local shopping mall. This is because the potential for negligent security in Palm Beach County is always there. Of course, the local security will do all that they can to minimize incidents. But it always helps your cause to be vigilant.
The owners of the mall and each individual store have a legal obligation to protect their customers. This includes keeping them safe from crimes and injuries that can be predicted or foreseen. Most mall and shop owners will do their best to live up to this obligation. Even so, mishaps can still occur.
It’s one thing to be the owner of a store where an accident results in an injury to a customer. But it’s a whole other thing when the accident is proven to be the result of negligence or oversight on the part of the owner. If this occurs, you can file a lawsuit citing negligent security in Palm Beach County.
The elements that normally make up a legitimate negligent security case are clearly laid out under the laws. To win this type of case, you will need to prove the following:
- The owner of the store or mall had a clear legal duty of care toward the person that was injured
- The person being charged is the one that failed in their duty to provide adequate protection for the person who was injured
- It was negligent security on the part of the defendant that caused the injury
- Security measures that should have prevented the incident from occurring were not in place
What Are the Laws That Cover Negligent Security?
The laws that cover negligent security in Palm Beach County are a special class of premises liability laws. This means that they are set up to cover a specific set of situations. These are incidents where a person has been injured by another party. They then seek to hold the owner of the property responsible.
Since you are the one who has filed the claim, the onus will be on you to provide reasonable proof that this negligence took place. Your best bet is to follow the most precise definition of negligent security. This is when the owner of a property fails to take all of the needed steps to prevent injury or crime.
The owner of the property is the one who is responsible for pointing out potential safety and crime hazards. These include everything from a slippery floor to areas where the security cameras do not provide good coverage. If you can prove that they failed to take the correct safety measures, you have a case.
How Do You Prove Liability for Negligent Security?
Proving negligent security in Palm Beach County involves a number of steps. You will first need to prove that the injury or crime that occurred was predictable. You must then prove that no reasonable type of action was taken to prevent it. Finally, you need to prove you were on the property when the incident happened.
It will be on you and your negligent security lawyer in Palm Beach County to prove all of the above. You will also need to be able to prove that significant damages resulted from the incident. These damages can be physical, financial, or both, in nature. You will then need to determine the amount of these damages.
You need to keep in mind that the owner is not required to give a guarantee that no crimes or accidents will ever occur on their property. What needs to be established beyond a reasonable doubt is that they took no action to prevent these things from occurring. If you can prove this, you will win your case.
What Are the Most Common Indicators of Negligent Security?
There are a number of symptoms that you can call attention to in order to prove your negligent security case. These can include the following:
- No locks on the doors, windows, fences, or gates
- Broken locks on any of the above areas
- No security checkpoints at highly public or sensitive areas
- No safety measures in place at areas where crimes or injuries have occurred in the past
- Lack of safety alarms
- Lack of safety exits
- Lack of security cameras
- Lack of proper lighting
- The area around the property is not properly maintained
- Security personnel are absent or not properly trained
- Individuals working at the property have criminal backgrounds and were not properly screened by their employer
Hire a Negligent Security Lawyer in Palm Beach County
If you believe that your rights were violated due to negligent security, you can take action. Your best bet will be to hire a negligent security lawyer in Palm Beach County. This is the legal expert who can help you file your case. From there, they will stand with you through each and every
stage of the process.
This is not the kind of legal action that you want to pursue on your own. It can be very tedious and contentious. You will have to face an opposing lawyer who will try their best to discredit, or even incriminate, you.
Remember that it will be your responsibility to prove negligent security. For this reason, it’s always best to hire a lawyer who can help you prove and win your case.
At Bodden and Bennett, our attorneys are experienced and knowledgeable in handling negligent security cases in Palm Beach County. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
