Inadequate security measures by property owners and managers can result in apartment residents and hotel guests being victims of violent crimes.  It is tragic when an apartment resident, hotel guest or other business patron is the victim of a preventable violent crime.  Tennessee premises liability law generally governs inadequate security cases.  Under Tennessee premise liability law, an apartment tenant as well as a patron to a hotel or other business is classified as an invitee because the tenant has a mutually beneficial business relationship with the owner of the property.  Because the owner of the property is in a much better position to have knowledge of past crimes on the property and in the vicinity, the owner has an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect tenants and business patrons through the exercise of ordinary care. Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC has been helping Tennessee violent crime victims recover against property owners for inadequate security for over 20 years.

Lawsuits involving inadequate security require extensive investigation and expert evaluation regarding the past criminal activity on the premises and crime patterns in the vicinity.  It must be established that the past criminal activity in the area should have put the property owner on notice of the need for appropriate security measures.  While the initial inquiry is whether prior criminal activity on the premises would have lead a reasonable property owner to implement security measures, the past criminal activity does not need to be particularly similar in terms of the type of criminal offense.

If the past criminal activity in the area is sufficient that a reasonable property owner should have seen the need to implement security measures, the question becomes whether the measures implemented were sufficient given the prior criminal activity.  This is a fact-intensive inquiry that is likely to depend on the circumstances of the case.  At NST Law, we have employed security industry experts with a law enforcement background to prepare expert reports and testimony regarding prior crimes and crime patterns in the area.  Generally, the more serious and prevalent the prior criminal activity in the area the more security precautions that are appropriate.  There is obviously a lot of gray area so it is important to have an experienced inadequate security lawyer that works closely with security industry experts.  If a property owner has armed security patrols, locks on the doors, and adequate lighting, this will typically be deemed adequate.  The security precautions taken by some property owners fall far short of such measures.

Inadequate security cases are tragic because the lives of crime victims are often permanently affected by criminal assaults that could have been prevented by an $8 per hour security guard. At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, we may utilize security experts to analyze crime patterns and security measures in place in light of the seriousness and frequency of past criminal activity in the area.  The expert will also be able to recommend the appropriate types of inexpensive security measures that could have prevented the violent crime.

Nahon Saharovich Trotz has offices in Memphis, Jackson and Knoxville, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; and Jonesboro, Arkansas with the experience and resources necessary to fully investigate and help successfully resolve your Tennessee inadequate security cases.  Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC is the largest plaintiff’s law firm in Tennessee that helps injured people recover compensation due to someone else’s negligence.  Call us today for your free no obligation initial consultation at 1-800-LAW-4004 (1-800-529-4004) or visit us on the web at www.nstlaw.com. No matter where you are in Tennessee, we are just a phone call away.