Negligence can be a major cause of many, many different legal cases. Whether it Is injuries and damaged property or an outright fatality, it Is quite easy for a single negligent safety check or a single lapse in security to cause more problems than you would expect
If you have been the victim of an accident that arose from poor security measures or obvious negligence, then getting legal support is important. Whether it was an event, a business, or just somebody else’s property, you can often claim against the negligent party that led to your accident.
But what does this mean, and how do you know if you need this kind of lawyer?
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About Negligent Security
Negligent security, as a whole, is based on the idea of security measures protecting people from harm. In most properties, there is an expectation of safety, as well as some legally-defined minimum standards for which security and safety measures should be in place.
For example, a murder in a secure apartment building might not be the sole fault of the murderer. While they were the ones to take another person’s life, the blame might also be placed on the property owner or manager if the apartment block was missing features like lockable doors, broken security fences, or malfunctioning alarm systems.
In simple terms, negligent security makes the property owner liable for damage, injuries, and deaths on their property as a result of poor security measures. A burglary where the burglars broke open a locked door is not the property owner’s fault, but if the door could not lock or was not installed right, then it becomes at least partially their fault.
How is Negligent Security Proven?
Before we can go into proof, we need to ask one simple question: what are negligent security laws in Georgia as a whole?
Negligent security covers four general aspects of property ownership:
- Whether the property owner has a duty of care.
- Whether the negligence caused the damage/injury/deaths or at least contributed to them being possible.
- Whether the supplied security measures were up to the legal requirements.
- Whether the supplied security measures were working properly and/or maintained.
If poor security made an accident or attack possible when it otherwise would not have been, then the property owner is definitely at fault. Even in cases where the same crime would have happened either way, a property owner may still be liable for the situation since their security measures were inadequate anyway.
As the victim of a situation like this, your rights allow you to claim against property owners in situations like this. This usually begins a legal battle to prove that the property owner’s security measures were not up to the expected standards, although this depends on the exact circumstances of what happened.
How Long Do You Have to Make Your Claim?
Many people can be understandably shaken by the accidents they go through and either try to press for a claim as soon as possible or forget to at all. However, many people never even ask, “what is the statute of limitations for negligent security in Georgia?” until they have already started the process.
You have two years from the date of injury to file the claim. This can be useful for people who are still recovering or who are waiting for other injured parties to come forward or be identified since you are not pressured to make a claim as quickly as possible.
This two-year statute of limitations for the initial claim begins as soon as you are injured and is meant to allow for cases where a person may not be able to claim straight away. Of course, you do not need to make a claim to get legal help, and sometimes it can be important to slow down and talk things through with a professional first.
Can You Recover Damages From Negligent Security?
If you have a claim against a negligent property owner, you can still recuperate your losses. The damages can take many different forms, and this all depends on the nature of the accident and the specifics behind what happened.
In general, you can usually claim for all of the same things that you would be able to during a regular accident or injury case. This is because the property owners are still considered at least partially responsible for the accident, so most of the same rules and options apply. Again, you will want to talk to a legal professional before making any big decisions, just in case.
When Would You Need a Georgia Negligent Security Lawyer?
If you have been hurt or have lost property in a situation that could have been prevented with better security measures, then you need to talk to a lawyer. As a victim of an accident, you are already considered someone who has suffered a personal loss, and your rights and options are still the same as they would be during a typical accident.
While the property owner might not be the sole person responsible for what happened, their inaction and negligence still contributed to the outcome. This means that they are often valid targets for claims, especially if their security measures are found to be insufficient or poorly maintained.
If you have been injured by the negligence of a security measure, then getting help from a professional is a must. Negligence as a whole covers any situation where you should have been better protected, often focusing on cases where you were legally supposed to be secure. This gives you a lot of ammunition for making clear cases against those responsible, including the property owners.
Finding a local option is best since they often have a better understanding of the local legal situation (and can arrange in-person inspections of the property if needed). For example, people living in Sandy Springs can benefit from a good Sandy Springs negligent security lawyer taking on their case.
Whatever you do, make sure that you take some time to understand your situation and do some basic research into your rights. The more you prepare, the easier everything will go.
