When property owners fail to take reasonable security measures, people can be attacked, robbed, or assaulted in places where they should feel safe. In Texas, victims of violent crime on someone else’s property may be able to pursue compensation if inadequate security contributed to the incident. A negligent security claim allows you to hold a business or property owner accountable for failing to reduce foreseeable risks, such as assaults in parking lots, stairwells, and common areas.
Why Work With Rochelle McCullough After a Negligent Security Incident?
Negligent security cases are complex and often involve both criminal conduct and civil liability. You need a legal team that understands how to investigate what happened and connect the attack to failures in property security.
At Rochelle McCullough, we:
- Investigate prior incidents and crime patterns on and around the property
- Examine security policies, procedures, and contracts for gaps or violations
- Work with security and premises liability professionals to evaluate what should have been done
- Gather surveillance footage, incident reports, and witness statements while the evidence is still available
- Build a clear picture that reflects both physical injuries and long-term emotional harm
If you were attacked on someone else’s property in Dallas or anywhere in Texas, contact Rochelle McCullough to discuss your potential negligent security claim and next steps.
What Is Negligent Security in Texas?
Negligent security arises when a property owner, manager, or operator fails to take reasonable steps to protect lawful visitors from foreseeable criminal activity. The focus is not on the criminal alone, but on whether the property’s security measures were unreasonably lax under the circumstances.
Under Texas premises liability law, property owners owe a duty to lawful guests to keep their premises reasonably safe. This includes addressing known security risks, maintaining basic safety measures, and responding appropriately to prior criminal incidents. When they ignore obvious dangers, victims of violent crime may be able to seek compensation through a civil lawsuit.
Examples of Negligent Security
Negligent security can involve many different failures, depending on the property type and location. Common examples include:
- Lack of security guards where they are reasonably needed
- Broken or missing locks on doors, gates, or access points
- Open gates or fences that should be secured
- Failure to provide adequate lighting in isolated areas
- Failure to monitor or maintain an electronic security system
- Negligent or untrained security guards
Each property is different, but the key question is whether the owner or operator took reasonable precautions given the known risks.
Where Do Negligent Security Incidents Commonly Happen?
Criminal attacks can occur nearly anywhere, from busy public spaces to smaller private locations. Premises commonly involved in negligent security cases include:
- Restaurants and bars
- Parking lots and parking garages
- Large retail stores and shopping centers
- Schools and daycare facilities
- Hotels and motels
- Office buildings and professional suites
- ATM locations and bank branches
- Elevators and stairwells
- Restrooms at gas stations or convenience stores
- College and university campuses
When property owners invite the public onto their premises, they are expected to consider the risk of criminal activity and take reasonable measures to reduce those risks.
How Do You Prove Liability in a Negligent Security Case?
To recover compensation, plaintiffs must show that a dangerous condition on the property, combined with inadequate security, contributed to the criminal attack. The goal is to connect the property owner’s negligence with the harm suffered.
In many negligent security cases, plaintiffs work to prove that:
- The property owner, operator, or manager owed a duty of care
- You were lawfully on the premises at the time of the incident
- A foreseeable danger of criminal activity existed in the area
- The property owner failed to take reasonable steps to secure the premises
- Because of inadequate security, you were attacked and injured, or a loved one was killed
- You suffered measurable economic and non-economic damages
Evidence may include prior police reports, crime statistics, maintenance records, security policies, surveillance footage, witness statements, and expert opinions about reasonable security practices for similar properties.
What Compensation Can You Recover for Negligent Security?
A successful negligent security claim can help you recover compensation for the full range of losses tied to the attack. While every case is different, available damages may include:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, and follow-up treatment
- Future medical care, rehabilitation, and counseling
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity if you cannot return to work as before
- Property damage, such as loss or destruction of phones, wallets, laptops, or vehicles
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress, fear, and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life and other non-economic harms
In cases involving particularly reckless or indifferent conduct, punitive damages may also be available to punish and deter serious misconduct by property owners or managers.
Talk to a Dallas Negligent Security Attorney Today
Negligent security claims sit at the intersection of criminal violence and property owner responsibility. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed because a property owner failed to provide reasonable security, you should not have to shoulder the financial and emotional burden alone.
The attorneys at Rochelle McCullough can review what happened, explain your rights under Texas law, and pursue compensation from those who failed to keep the property reasonably safe. Contact us today to request a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.