Have you been attacked, assaulted, or injured in another act of crime in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania? Could the violent crime – and your injuries – have been prevented if the property owner had taken better steps to keep their premises safe? If so, call Marzzacco Niven & Associates. You may have the right to compensation, and our Wyomissing negligent security lawyers are ready to help you fight for the financial accountability you deserve.
Since 2008, Marzzacco Niven & Associates has been a passionate advocate for victims of accidents and violent crimes in Wyomissing, PA. As leaders in premises liability litigation with over 120 years of combined experience, our attorneys have successfully recovered tens of millions in damages for clients like you.
Contact our Wyomissing, PA law office today to learn more or call (717) 388-2325. We offer a free consultation and are available to take your call 24 hours a day.
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How Our Wyomissing Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Win Your Negligent Security Case
How can you prove that a business’s security was inadequate? What kind of evidence will you need to win your case? What can you do to protect yourself if the property owner tries to blame you for getting hurt? How much is your negligent security case worth?
Negligent security litigation can be challenging. Focus on recovering from your injuries and let our Wyomissing personal injury attorneys handle these – and other – important issues for you.
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, we’re known and respected trial attorneys with a proven ability to make a positive impact in the lives of the people we represent. Our law firm has the resources and experience needed to take on powerful corporations and business owners in Wyomissing – and the drive to get you the best possible results.
Count on us to:
- Carefully investigate the circumstances of your negligent security case
- Identify all security measures present at the location of the attack
- Determine what additional security measures should have been present on the premises
- Gather evidence to support a compelling legal claim for damages
- Aggressively pursue a top-dollar settlement during negotiations with the property owner and its insurance company
- Provide guidance as you decide whether or not to accept a settlement offer
- Litigate your negligent security lawsuit at trial in Berks County, PA, if necessary
You’re going through an incredibly difficult time right now. Marzzacco Niven & Associates will be there to help you move forward. Call our law office in Wyomissing to learn more about how we can help. We offer a free consultation and work on contingency, so there’s no cost to you unless our negligent security attorneys in Wyomissing win your case.
What is Negligent Security?
Property owners in Pennsylvania have a responsibility to protect invited guests and visitors who enter the premises. This doesn’t just mean checking for potential slip and fall hazards, but also taking certain steps to protect against reasonably foreseeable criminal acts.
When a property owner or business has inadequate security on the premises, and a guest is injured by a criminal act, they can potentially be liable for resulting damages in a negligent security lawsuit.
This doesn’t mean that every business in Wyomissing has to be protected like Fort Knox.
Several factors must be taken into consideration when a business implements security measures.
- How common is crime in the area?
- What type of crime is typically committed?
- Has the business (or any of its neighboring businesses) been the location of criminal activity in the past?
- What type of business is it?
- Does the business have a lot of cash on hand?
Pawn shops and convenience stores will typically have to take greater precautions than upscale restaurants or grocery stores. The more likely it is that crime will occur, the greater the burden on the owner to implement reasonable security measures to protect its visitors.
Depending on the business and its location, appropriate security might include:
- Surveillance cameras
- Door locks and bolts
- Safes for large amounts of cash and valuables
- Employees trained in de-escalation tactics
- Bouncers and/or security guards
- Adequate lighting
- Signage indicating that the premises are under surveillance
- Properly-fitting windows
- Bars on windows, in some situations
- Motion sensors
- Alarms
- Fencing
If a property has broken locks, non-functioning security cameras, poor lighting, or other subpar security measures in place, the owner could be considered negligent and, as a result, responsible for harm caused by subsequent criminal acts.
What Do I Have to Prove to Win a Negligent Security Claim in Wyomissing, PA?
Negligent security is a matter of premises liability. Premises liability is all about property owner negligence.
So, when you file a negligent security lawsuit in Wyomissing, you’ll have the burden of proving that a property owner was negligent in the maintenance of their premises.
Specifically, you must show that the owner had inadequate security measures to protect against reasonably foreseeable acts of crime:
- You were lawfully on the premises with the owner’s implied or express consent
- You were the victim of an assault or another act of violence on the premises
- The crime was reasonably foreseeable, given the property’s location and purpose
- The owner knew or should have known about the likelihood that the crime could occur
- The owner failed to take reasonable steps to install security measures to prevent this type of crime from occurring
- You suffered injuries because of the owner’s inaction
You’ll also have to establish that you’ve suffered damages – like medical bills, a sudden loss of income, permanent disability, or emotional distress.
Our negligent security attorneys in Wyomissing have constructed thousands of successful negligence actions on behalf of clients like you. When you turn to us for help, you’ll be able to rest assured that we’ll construct a compelling legal claim that proves the owner’s failures to keep you safe and forces meaningful conversations when it’s time to negotiate.
What Damages Can Be Awarded in a Wyomissing Negligent Security Lawsuit?
When you file a negligent security lawsuit in Wyomissing, you can sue a negligent property owner for both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are awarded to make you financially whole and offset the financial costs of your accident, such as:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages and earnings
- Disability
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Nursing care
- Funeral expenses
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are awarded to compensate for the subjective and hard-to-value pain and suffering you experience as a victim, including:
- Chronic physical pain
- Disfigurement
- Mental anguish
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
If there’s compelling evidence to show that a property owner intentionally failed to implement appropriate security measures or engaged in conduct that was grossly negligent, a jury may also have the discretion to award punitive damages.
We Handle All Types of Negligent Security Cases in Wyomissing
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, our personal injury attorneys in Wyomissing represent clients in negligent security cases involving:
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Nightclubs
- Shopping malls
- Retail stores
- Gas stations
- Convenience stores
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Banks
- ATMs
- Self-storage units
- Schools
- Apartment complexes
- Hotels
If you’ve been injured because of inadequate security in Wyomissing, call our legal team to discuss the details of your case. We’re here to help 24 hours a day.
How Long Will I Have to File a Negligent Security Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
Like other premises liability matters, negligent security lawsuits are subject to a two-year statute of limitations in Pennsylvania.
This gives you until the second anniversary of the date you were injured to formally file a lawsuit for damages.
If a loved one was killed because of a shopowner’s negligent security, you’ll have two years from the date of their death to file a wrongful death action.
You do not want to wait too long to assert your legal rights. Once the statute of limitations expires, so does your right to bring a claim against a negligent owner.
Inadequate Security Can Lead to Debilitating, Life-Changing Injuries
If you’re assaulted on someone else’s property in Wyomissing, you can suffer injuries that change the course of your life forever.
Depending on the crime, these injuries might include:
- Concussion
- Brain injury
- Neck injury
- Paralysis
- Back injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Chest injury
- Broken bones
- Amputation
- Nerve damage
- Internal organ damage
- Catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death of a family member
Our Wyomissing negligent security attorneys will stand by your side and help you seek compensation for all of the injuries you’ve suffered. Seek medical attention at a local hospital in Wyomissing, and then call our law office for help with your lawsuit.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Wyomissing Negligent Security Lawyer
Property owners in Wyomissing, PA have a responsibility to implement appropriate security measures on their premises. When they don’t, and a reasonably foreseeable act of violence occurs, the owner can be on the hook for resulting injuries and suffering.
Our Wyomissing negligent security lawyers are ready to help you take on a negligent property owner or business and demand the financial accountability you deserve.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call to discuss the details of your case today. We’re ready to answer your questions and set up a time for a free consultation today.