CARTERSVILLE CRIME VICTIM LAWYER
Here at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, we work hard to provide world class legal services to crime victims that are injured in Cartersville. Whether we help you with your case directly, or find you another attorney through referrals, our hope is that you receive the compensation you deserve for your Cartersville negligent security case.
If you have been the victim of a shooting, sexual assault or other violent crime at a hotel, gas station or apartment complex, you may have a negligent security case.
If a property owner or manager of a commercial establishment does not take proper precautions to protect their patrons, especially if there is a known danger or previous cases of similar violent acts, they can be held responsible for the damages you’ve suffered.
CARTERSVILLE NEGLIGENT SECURITY CASE FOR A CRIME VICTIM
Negligent security cases are unique because placing blame is not as straightforward as in other personal injury cases. Crime victims that bring negligent security cases usually rely on Georgia statutory law that establishes what duties a property owner owes their guests. See O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1. Under this Georgia law, it is the property owner’s responsibility to exercise ordinary care to prevent foreseeable third-party criminal attacks. Walker v. Aderhold Properties, Inc., et al., 303 Ga. App. 710, 712 (2010).
Such properties that fall under this statute include hotels, apartment complexes, and all other commercial establishments. At such places, owners have a responsibility to protect guests and deter any foreseeable or predictable violent acts. Crimes are predictable if similar criminal activity has taken place on the property in the past.
To begin a Cartersville negligent security case, your attorney should submit an open records request to the Cartersville Police Department seeking a crime grid showing the specific types and number of crimes that have been committed in the area of your attack.
The open records request establishes the severity of the crime in your case. With this knowledge, your attorney should bring in security experts to determine the specific level of security that should have been in place at the establishment where your attack took place. If the expert determines that a reasonable level of security was lacking, your attorney will work with you to file a negligent security lawsuit.
With the lawsuit underway, your lawyer will conduct interviews with any prior crime victims and take the depositions of the property owner and employees. Your lawyer will also seek out your medical records and bills from your medical providers to prove the extent of your injuries.
After all of the appropriate data is collected and interviews have been conducted, it will be time for mediation and trial. Not all cases have to go to trial, but if yours does, a jury will decide if you will receive any compensation and, if so, how much you will receive.
DISTRIBUTION OF FAULT IN NEGLIGENT SECURITY CASES
It’s not uncommon in Cartersville negligent security cases for a jury to split the fault among all parties involved. Attorney Joel Williams explains this process further in this video.
In apportionment cases, both the property owner and the criminal are assigned portions of the fault. The victim can also be assigned a percentage of the fault, although they will still often be the only one to receive compensation.
CONTACT US FOR YOUR CARTERSVILLE NEGLIGENT SECURITY CASE
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a negligent security accident in Cartersville, don’t hesitate to contact our legal team for crime victims. You can reach us on the web at www.gatrialattorney.com or by calling 833-LEGALGA (833-534-2542).
