Property owners bear a legal duty to keep their premises safe for visitors. This includes providing adequate security measures that protect people from foreseeable threats. When these measures are missing or inadequate, innocent people can suffer serious injuries from assaults, robberies, and other criminal activity.
At Winocour Law, attorneys Jonathan F. Winocour and Mike C. Miller we draw upon extensive trial experience and deep knowledge of Texas premises liability laws to help people who have been injured or lost loved ones due to negligent security and other types of property owner negligence.
Backed by a legal tradition going back 135 years, we are the law firm people in Dallas and throughout the DFW Metroplex trust when the injuries are serious and the stakes are high. When you are ready to discuss your rights and potential compensation with an experienced negligent security claim lawyer, we will be here for you.
Negligent Security Takes Many Forms
Negligent security lawsuits fall under an area of law known as premises liability. In Texas, premises liability holds property owners and occupiers responsible for maintaining reasonably safe conditions for visitors and protecting them from foreseeable threats.
Property owners fail to meet these obligations when their practices result in:
- Insufficient security personnel: Businesses that face foreseeable threats must hire security guards, bouncers, or other personnel charged with deterring crimes and providing a reasonably safe environment for visitors and patrons.
- Inadequate lighting: Good lighting prevents criminals from hiding, while also allowing law-abiding visitors to clearly see their surroundings. When lighting is too dim or missing altogether, it creates opportunities for assaults, thefts, or other crimes to occur unnoticed.
- Lack of security cameras: Surveillance cameras serve as both a deterrent and a means to monitor activity or gather evidence. When cameras are absent, broken, non-functional, or insufficient in high-risk areas such as parking garages or apartment buildings, this can serve as the basis for a premises liability claim.
- Broken gates, fences, and doors: A safe premises relies on barriers that keep bad actors out. When a fence or gate is broken, or a door that should be locked is not, people inside are exposed to entry threats by intruders with criminal intentions.
- Faulty security policies and procedures: In some cases, the hazard’s root cause lies hidden in a lack of clear rules, inadequate staff training, or failure to enforce safety protocols, which can leave patrons vulnerable to crime.
If you or someone close to you has suffered an injury due to one of these or any type of lapse in security, you may deserve compensation for your injuries and other losses. An experienced negligent security lawyer can review the circumstances of your case and help you understand your rights and options.
Negligent Security in Bars
Bars in Texas often face risks from crowds, alcohol, and late hours that can lead to negligent security claims when owners fail to provide reasonable safeguards against foreseeable assaults or violence.
Frequently, over-service of alcohol also triggers Dram Shop liability, holding bars accountable for serving visibly intoxicated patrons who then cause harm. A skilled Dallas Dram Shop lawyer can help victims pursue compensation under both theories.
Proving Liability
To succeed in a negligent security claim, you must demonstrate the following elements:
- The property owner owed a duty to provide reasonable security
- They breached that duty
- The breach directly caused your injuries
- The criminal act was foreseeable, based on prior incidents, criminal activity in the neighborhood, or similar factors
Evidence of negligent security practices may lie in sources such as surveillance footage, witness statements, incident reports, maintenance records, and security logs. In some cases, expert testimony may also be used to provide background on security standards within a given industry. A skilled negligent security lawyer can gather and present this evidence to build a compelling case on your behalf.
What Compensation Is Available in Negligent Security Claims?
Victims of negligent security can pursue compensation for a wide range of damages resulting from the property owner’s failures. Elements you may be compensated for include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
In instances involving fatal injuries, family members may seek damages for economic and non-economic losses resulting from the incident.
An experienced negligent security claim lawyer can evaluate the full scope of your losses, coordinate with medical and financial experts, and fight for the maximum compensation available under Texas law.
Meet Our Esteemed Attorneys
Jonathan Winocour, Founder & Principal Attorney
Jonathan Winocour is a fourth-generation Texas trial lawyer and the founder of Winocour Law. A Diplomate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, he has represented injured Texans in state and federal courts since 2002.
He graduated from SMU Dedman School of Law, where he made the Dean’s List, clerked for Sylvia Demarest, and went on to work alongside Craig Smith, now the presiding judge of Dallas County’s 192nd District Court. He is admitted in all Texas state courts, four federal districts, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Jonathan concentrates his practice on wrongful death, dram shop liability, truck accidents, and catastrophic injury. He is a published contributor to Texas Lawyer magazine and currently presents at MADD and TABC co-sponsored roundtables on civil dram shop accountability.
Mike C. Miller, Of Counsel
Mike C. Miller is one of a small number of Texas attorneys who is both Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He has represented injured Texans in state and federal courts for over 40 years.
He earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1984 and has held his Board Certification continuously since 1989, a credential fewer than 3% of Texas attorneys hold. He has served as faculty at ABOTA’s Masters in Trial seminar and presented CLEs through the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
Mike concentrates his practice on wrongful death, dram shop liability, truck and commercial vehicle accidents, FELA railroad claims, and catastrophic injury. He holds an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has secured multiple million-dollar verdicts and settlements throughout his career.
Get Legal Help From Winocour Law
Has a property owner or manager caused you a serious injury because they failed to address foreseeable security risks? You have strong rights under Texas law, and a negligent security claim lawyer at our firm can protect them. Contact us today to address your potential negligent security lawsuit with a knowledgeable member of our legal team.