If someone is injured, assaulted, or worse due to an intruder who entered the building easily due to poor security, you could be held responsible as the building owner.
You should assess your security situation before it’s too late to prevent a tragic incident and protect yourself legally.
What Is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is an extension of personal injury law.
For example, suppose an area of your property poses a hazard and can cause a potential injury. This can include anything from wet floors to an elevator accident. In that case, you must warn visitors through proper signage or security guards to reasonably try to prevent this injury.
As the property owner, if you fail to warn about possible dangers adequately, you may be liable when visitors injure themselves.
Common premises liability claims include slip and fall accidents, but it can expand to negligent security when inadequate building security leads to injury or assault.
What Is Negligent Security?
Apartment building and office building owners have a legal duty to act reasonably in securing access to their facilities. As a result, large building owners often employ door attendants or security guards to monitor the building’s visitors and entrances.
Building ownership may require tenants or workers to keep the back and front doors locked on the first floor for smaller buildings.
In the worst-case scenario, if an intruder breaks in or someone walks in through an unlocked door and then commits an assault or murder, the building owner could be held responsible for not taking reasonable action to secure the building properly.
What Should I Do If I Have A Premises Liability Case Brought Against Me?
If someone is suing you for premises liability because of inadequate security, reach out to Hyland, Padilla, & Fowler right away. We offer free consultations to help you understand the changes in your case and provide you with decades of experience in North Carolina premises law.
If you’re looking to be proactive, first notify all your tenants of which entrances need to be locked, then consider hiring security for any busy entrances to ensure no potential wrong-doers enter your building.
Finally, you can schedule a consultation with our legal team to discuss your current security measures and if you’re open to any liability.