At the Hollingsworth Law Firm, our Houston personal injury lawyers know that no one leaves their home expecting to be hurt by the negligent actions or inaction of another person, business operator, or property owner. Unfortunately, vehicle collisions, slip, trip, and fall incidents, and other injurious and fatal accidents occur every day throughout Texas.
Sadly, this is not only true for Texas residents who are navigating their daily lives, but also for those traveling across the state on vacation with their families, and those visiting from out-of-state or even the country.
When individuals and families are traversing Texas for work or conventions, vacation or pleasure, other dangers can lurk in parking lots, hotels and resorts, and even while stopped at popular tourist attractions.
Our Harris County personal injury attorneys know when property owners or operators do not take the necessary security measures to keep guests safe, people are going to get hurt or even killed.
What Duty of Care Do Texas Property Owners Owe Its Guests?
If you are lawfully present on the premises, either as a visitor, employee, vendor, or another third party, the facility must take measures to keep the property reasonably safe for your use.
Whether it is a restaurant, hotel, resort, or shopping mall, property owners and operators must ensure their guests are safe by providing secure parking in well-lit locations, installing security cameras and/or providing onsite security personnel, guaranteeing emergency assistance, and training their staff on emergency procedures.
When they fail to provide the safety measures necessary to keep their guests safe from physical or sexual assaults, robberies, or other harmful scenarios, the premises owner or operator may be held liable for negligent security actions.
Before safety measures can be put in place, the facility must outline any current or potential dangers that lead to harm to its guests and take all the steps necessary to mitigate these incidents.
What are the Most Common Types of Negligent Security Actions or Inaction in Texas?
Negligent security can appear in different forms, which may differ for each property based on its location, configuration, any potentially inherent dangers associated with the business or area, and traffic around the location.
Common forms of negligent security may include, but are not limited to:
- Access to resorts and hotels by non-guests.
- Blocked emergency exits.
- Broken locks on doors, gates, and fences.
- Failure to conduct background checks on security personnel.
- Failure to provide any or enough physical security presence.
- Failure to provide easy access to alarms and emergency contacts.
- Inadequate lighting in entryways, hallways, and staircases.
- Lack of alarm systems.
- Lack of attention to overgrown landscaping blocking views.
- Malfunctioning surveillance cameras.
- Poorly trained security personnel.
- Security personnel misconduct.
If you or someone you love is attacked or injured because of inadequate security measures, we must prove that adequate security would have prevented the incident from happening. In many cases, this has to do with the foreseeability of an injurious incident occurring.
When a violent crime occurs in a parking lot, hotel lobby, or during an event, and the property owner knew or should have known that the crime might happen and did nothing — or not enough — to correct the problem or provide an effective remedy to keep another criminal act from occurring, our clients may have a valid personal injury claim.
Contact Our Premises Attorneys in Houston, Texas for Help With Your Injury Claim
We understand that negligent security incidents are highly emotional and bring more than just physical injuries, but trauma and stress that can change both Texas residents’ and visitors’ lives. If you have been injured or lost a loved one because of negligent security measures, we want to hear your story, so your voice can be heard, and we can keep others from suffering the same fate.
Contact our dedicated Houston personal injury lawyers at the Hollingsworth Law Firm today by calling 713-637-4560 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
Our skilled bilingual personal injury lawyers and support staff represent clients throughout the state of Texas on a contingency basis, so you never pay any legal fees unless we win your case.
If you are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve, so are we. Let us take the lead.
