Porch Collapses at College Party: Dozens Hurt

A crowd of men and women, smiling and dancing with their arms in the air.

A college party in central Connecticut took a turn for the worse when a third-floor porch collapsed, crashing down on the two porches below.  While dozens of people were injured in the collapse, no one was killed and, miraculously, there were no life-threatening injuries.

Porch Collapses, Dozens Injured

The porch collapse happened at a party at Trinity College, a small university located in the south end of Hartford, Connecticut. A three-story house was the site of a “welcome back” party, where students at the school were celebrating their first weekend back on campus after summer vacation. Unlike most other college parties, though, this one was well organized, with the hosts notifying college administration of the event, and campus security officers even tagging the kegs that were to be used at the party.

Unfortunately, despite all of the precautions taken by the party’s hosts, things took a turn for the worse just after the party got underway.

At 11:15pm, the third floor porch gave way, tumbling onto the second floor porch. The impact dislodged the second floor porch from the side of the house, as well, dropping both onto the first floor porch, which collapsed under the new weight. While reports are unclear as to how many partygoers were on the third floor balcony at the time of its collapse, it does not appear that it was beyond capacity.

Students involved in the accident, however, suffered shockingly few injuries. There were many broken bones, bruises, and scrapes, but the worst injury of them all was a broken pelvis. In light of the extent of the damage, the lack of serious injuries is shocking.  All but a couple of injured persons  received treatment at the local hospital and were released within a couple days.

Premises Liability Claims Likely to Follow

If it is true that the porches were not being overfilled with partygoers, you can bet that a premises liability claim is likely to follow. Property owners are expected to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors, and are held liable for deliberate or negligent oversights that end up causing someone else an injury. In this case, the house at issue was owned by Trinity College, itself, but was maintained by a property management company. The College refused to mention when the last building inspection had been.

Cobb County Premises Liability Lawyers

The medical expenses for an injury like a broken arm are high, and this number can balloon if surgery is required to make the arm heal properly. This cost should not fall on the innocent people who were hurt because someone else failed to ensure that the building was safe to use.

This is where premises liability attorney Joel Williams can help. By representing you in court, Lawyer Joel Williams will fight for the compensation that you deserve.

Nursing Home Resident Killed by Alligator

An elderly woman with short white curly hair, a green and black patterned sweater, and black pants, using a brown cane stands near a lake, watching the water.

A 90-year-old woman in neighboring South Carolina was killed recently when she wandered away from her nursing home and fell into a nearby retention pond, where she was attacked by an alligator. The death is the first alligator-related death in the state’s history, but marks another instance in the disturbing trend of nursing home injuries that has plagued the United States.

Senior Citizen Killed by Alligator After Wandering Away from Nursing Home

The incident happened on Wednesday, July 27, 2016.

At 7:40 in the morning, Bonnie Walker was reported missing from Brookdale Charleston, an assisted-living center in West Ashley, South Carolina, just outside of the city of Charleston. Police instigated a search that turned up her body less than four hours later in a nearby retention pond, just behind the property, where alligators were known to frequent. According to The Post and Courier, the county coroner’s office determined that Ms. Walker’s death was the result of “multiple sharp and blunt force injuries,” consistent with those made by alligators.

Investigators believe that Ms. Walker slipped and fell down a steep embankment into the pond, and that the noise of her fall attracted alligators in the pond.

If confirmed, Ms. Walker’s death would be the first fatality from an alligator to ever happen in South Carolina.

Nursing Home Has Past History of Complaints

The Brookdale Charleston, the nursing home that Ms. Walker was a resident at when she wandered off, has a history of complaints, but relatively few violations on its record.

An investigation last September led the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to findings of unsanitary conditions in the nursing home, including feces in the residents’ beds and on the floors.

Since then, another investigation looked into allegations of abuse by the home’s staff, including an incident where a resident in the dementia unit hit a staff member, who responded by hitting back.

Nursing Homes Can Be Liable for Not Looking After Residents

Unfortunately, this is just another instance of nursing homes not properly looking after their residents and providing the care that they need. Injuries in nursing homes have been on the rise in recent years, with around 1,800 residents dying from falls inside nursing homes, every year.

This incident in South Carolina, however, is even more egregious because Ms. Walker was able to get out of the home. This shows that not only does the staff at the Brookdale Charleston struggle to provide the care that their residents count on them to provide, but they even struggle to even account for their residents. In this case, it resulted in Ms. Walker’s escape and death, which could amount to a wrongful death case against the nursing home for their lack of oversight.

Get the Legal Help You Need

When nursing homes fail to provide the care that they are expected to provide, personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits can be the answer, whether they are based in premises liability or as a slip and fall lawsuit. Contact the Cobb County law firm of Joel Williams for professional legal representation.

Hurricanes Can Create Premises Liability Situations

A tree lined neighborhood street on a cloudy day after a storm, there are no leaves on the trees and a large tree has snapped near the base of it's trunk and rests across the street making it impassable.

Dangerous weather has a huge impact on people’s property in the entire area affected. When a serious weather condition, like a hurricane, passes through an area, it can devastate the homes and businesses, causing severe damage.

One of the often-overlooked aspects of this kind of damage, however, is the dangerous condition that lingers after the storm has passed. Trees are down, staircases are weakened and left without railings, and structures are left strained by the forces of nature. Any of these conditions can lead to a serious injury if not repaired properly, and can lead to premises liability if reasonable care is not taken to prevent the injury, and Hurricane Hermine is no exception.

Hurricane Hermine Pummels the Southeast

Hurricane Hermine made landfall near the Florida panhandle on Friday, September 2, 2016, bringing with it winds of 60mph, a storm surge of nearly six feet, and over 22 inches of rain over the course of 72 hours. The devastation caused by the storm was impressive in an area that is renowned for hurricanes, but which had not suffered a direct hit since 2005. Trees were knocked down, buildings and cars damaged, and power was knocked out across huge swaths of Florida, including the capital city of Tallahassee.

Weakened after crossing Florida from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic, Hermine still hit southeast Georgia hard, bringing sustained winds of 45mph to Savannah, which continued to knock over trees and cause extensive property damage.

The Dangerous Aftermath of Hurricanes

The extensive destruction that comes with hurricanes like Hermine can make for some dangerous conditions throughout the areas that are affected by the storm. When trees are uprooted, they often tear up other areas of the ground, causing nearby blacktop to split and upheave, or loosen soil to create new and unexpected sinkholes.

Unfortunately, property owners are often left unaware of the potentially dangerous situation, or overloaded by the damage to their property that they now have to fix. However, this can lead to dangerous aspects of someone’s property falling by the wayside and not getting the attention that it deserves, which could impact you if you are visiting and are unaware of the situation. Tripping, slipping, or falling can lead to serious injuries if you are not careful or do not see the danger in the situation.

Premises Liability Injuries Can Be Serious

Whenever you are on someone else’s property, they are expected to take reasonable care to upkeep that property in a way that keeps everyone else safe. Following a serious weather event like a hurricane, this becomes difficult, and can lead to dangerous conditions going unfixed, which can result in a serious injury to someone else on the land that does not know of the dangers there.

Contact Us Today

If you or someone that you love has been injured because of a premises liability issue on someone else’s property, contact the Cobb County personal injury attorneys at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter at 833-LEGALGA for experienced legal representation in the personal injury field.

Are Property Owners Liable for Hurricane Debris?

View from the windshield of a car driving on a two lane highway, following other cars, during a snowstorm.

Gov. Deal Issued State of Emergency for Hermine

Governor Deal issued a state of emergency for the gulf coast of Georgia as hurricane Hermine headed toward Florida, Savannah Now reported. The state of emergency covered 56 different counties and lasted through Sunday, September 4. The Georgia Environmental Management department reported that the most severe effects to Georgia was heavy rainfall. Weather experts upgraded the status of the tropical storm to a hurricane on Thursday September 1st.

Hermine Became A Category One Hurricane

Universities throughout the state cancelled classes in the wake of the state of emergency announcement. Hermine had sustained winds of over 65 miles per hour, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It appeared that Hermine was going to be a category one hurricane when it made landfall.  Just this week, Tropical Storm Julia threatened the Georgia Coast with heavy rain and strong winds.

Hurricanes Can Turn Buildings Into Weapons

When hurricanes and flooding occur, the damage to built structures can be spectacular. High winds can shear off building materials and send hazardous objects flying, while fast-moving floodwater can move even huge objects like cars at a rapid speed. If you choose to stick around a disaster area, you could suffer injuries from debris. One question that this raises is, is a property owner liable for injuries that others suffer when a storm damages their property? In general, property owners are liable for injuries that occur because they failed to take reasonable steps to make their property safe.

However, there is an exception to liability for what are known as “acts of God,” including storms. This means that if a storm directly injured you (for example, if you lightning struck you) while you were on someone else’s property, the owner would not be liable. If, on the other hand, the storm blew an object that struck and injured you, they might be liable if they could have taken reasonable steps to prevent the injury. For example, homeowners often take standard steps to secure their homes before a hurricane hits, like installing hurricane straps to keep their roofs secure. If such a step might have prevented the injury, and the homeowner knew that, then they may be liable for the injury.

Property Owners Are Liable for Securing Their Property for Hurricane Hermine

Because it was unlikely that Hurricane Hermine would have caused extreme winds in Georgia, the main concern was heavy winds and flooding. Because of the state of emergency, property owners were on notice that there may have been rising water in the counties the storm affected. If there are reasonable steps they can take to prevent their property from injuring someone during extreme weather, they have a responsibility to do so. For example, they should have moved outdoor furniture and other objects that may have floated away during a flood. They should have also unplug appliances and, if the state advises it, turned off their gas and electric at the main switch or valve. Steps like this would have not only prevented damage to the home, but also to other people.

Find A Lawyer

If an accident injures you while on the premises of a business, they may be liable to you for your injuries. To find out more, talk to an experienced premises liability lawyer today at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County.

Are Colleges Liable for Active Shooter Injuries?

A white background with a man wearing a black t-shirt and hat with the word SECURITY written across both, a black glove on his right hand that he is holding up to indicate stop to anyone approaching.

Students Spot Armed Man at Columbus State

Columbus State University reopened all of its buildings on August 31 after reports of an armed intruder caused authorities to close a section of the campus, ABC News reports. The university closed for several hours after students reported seeing a man in a stocking cap with a gun in one of the student residential complexes. Police closed the building for several hours as they went door to door to secure the complex. The college reopened after police concluded that the suspect had left the area of the campus and issued an all-clear.

Police Locked Down Dormitory

The calls reporting the presence of the armed man originated at Clearview Hall, the residential complex that houses first-year students, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Law enforcement authorities asked students who lived in the dorm to shelter in place and prevented any additional people from entering the building. The university administration and police did not lock down any other parts of the campus. The university police took the lead and received assistance from other local agencies.

Georgia Law Holds Property Owners Liable for Violent Crime

In Georgia, property owners are responsible for taking reasonable precautions to prevent injuries to their customers and guests. This includes universities, who must take reasonable care to make sure that their students don’t suffer injuries. The responsibility of property owners toward people who visit and live on their property includes the duty to take reasonable steps to prevent violent crime.

If a property owner knows about the possibility of a violent crime happening on their property (for example, they know of crimes happening in the area), then the law gives them a duty to do what they reasonably can to prevent such a crime happening on their premises. What steps are reasonable depends on the kind of property. For a university, a variety of security measures are standard, including putting in place alarms, installing surveillance cameras, and hiring security guards. State universities are part of the state government, and so they have immunity from some kinds of lawsuits. But courts in Georgia have allowed lawsuits against universities for negligent security in the past where the injured person argued that the university was violating standard procedures for maintaining security.

Columbus State Had a Duty to Secure the Campus

Would the university be liable for injuries that occurred if a campus shooter injured or killed one or more of their students? In general, the university has a duty to do what they can to prevent injuries to their students from violent crime. Even if the university is not aware of other crimes in the area, they are still aware of the possibility of a campus shooter, since a number of universities nationwide have experienced similar problems. Reasonable precautions might include employing security personnel and putting in place a response plan for the event of an active shooter. It appears that Columbus State behaved reasonably in this situation, and probably would not face liability if an injury occurred.

Get Legal Representation

If you suffer an injury on the property of a business, they may have a duty to compensate you for your losses. To find out more about your options, talk to an experienced premises liability lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today.

Are Ride Operators Liable for Accidents in Georgia?

A view looking up at people riding on amusement park swings with a clear blue sky above them.

Many amusement parks in recent years have been the location of high-profile accidents, several of which have ended in death. One question that arises is, could the victim of an accident or survivors sue the business for negligence if an accident occurred on the premises of their amusement park or ride?

Company Plans New Indoor Skydiving Attraction Near SunTrust Park

In what might lead to premises liability lawsuits, a new indoor skydiving facility near the new Braves stadium will allow visitors to simulate the experience of freefall without having to jump out of a plane, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution. The technology, called iFly, uses a vertical wind tunnel to propel visitors up into the air for minutes at a time. The operators of the wind tunnel will allow visitors over the age of three to use the facility. The iFly indoor skydiving attraction is part of the overall development occurring new the new Braves stadium, which the club will name SunTrust stadium, and which is under construction in the Cumberland Mall area of Cobb County. Patch.com reports that the location of the entertainment facility will be close to the intersection of I-285 and Cobb Parkway.

Cobb County Zoning Officials Objected to iFly’s Construction Plans

Although the company has built over 50 indoor wind tunnels throughout the world going back to 1998, they had to make several modifications to their standard construction plans for this location. The reason was that Cobb County zoning and planning officials would not allow iFly to construct a building at the height that their standard plan required. Because iFly wanted to stay close to the planned SunTrust stadium location, they modified their plan to allow for a smaller building. It does not appear that safety concerns were part of the reason for the county’s objections to the planned construction.

Georgia Law Holds Business Owners Liable for Accidents on the Premises

Although iFly says that their facilities are extremely safe, visitors may want to be certain they are ready to take certain risks.  Could the victim of an accident or survivors sue the business for negligence if an accident occurred on the premises of their amusement park or ride?  In general, the answer is yes.  If the business fails to make their ride as safe as is reasonably possible (for example, failing to install restraints or make riders wear helmets), or if they fail to warn the visitors of the risks involved, then they may be liable for negligence. However, it’s common for amusement parks to make visitors sign waivers relieving the operator of any liability for accidents. In Georgia, these waivers of liability are usually valid, which means that you should think twice before signing away your right to sue.  A small exception is that waivers are not a bar to liability for gross negligence.

Could Accident Victims Sue iFly for Negligence Based on Premises Liability?

If a visitor to an entertainment attraction like iFly were to sustain an injury during their visit, would they be able to sue the operator? It depends on the situation. If iFly was able to make the ride safer for visitors by taking reasonable steps, but failed to do so, then they may be liable for negligence. For example, if they could have supplied helmets for the riders to wear, or limited the height at which the simulated skydive occurred to a known safe height, but didn’t, and this resulted in an injury, then they might be liable for negligence. Also, if iFly were aware of specific dangers that the ride posed, and could have warned visitors about the dangers, but failed to, this might also make them liable for negligence. However, if iFly has riders sign a waiver of liability before they ride, then this waiver will probably prevent accident victims from succeeding in a lawsuit against iFly.

Contact an Attorney for Assistance

If you or someone you know has had an accident on someone else’s property, it is important to get in touch with an attorney today. Contact a premises liability lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to begin working on your recovery.

Are Businesses Liable for Crimes in Parking Lots?

An armed, masked man, wearing all black, pointing a gun at a car window.

Masked Assailant Pistol-Whips, Robs Woman in Shopping Center Parking Lot

In a possible case of negligent security, a masked assailant beat and robbed a woman outside of a shopping center in Cobb County on Saturday, August 19, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. The man pistol-whipped the woman and took her purse, according the victim. The woman has asked news sources not to identify her because police have yet to apprehend any suspects and the attacker remains at large. There are currently no reports that the woman required hospitalization or that her current medical condition is serious.

Catherine’s Surveillance Camera Didn’t Capture Crime

The attack occurred in the parking lot outside of a Catherine’s on the East-West Connector in Austell after 4 o’clock on Saturday. After the victim’s mother went inside the store to shop, the victim remained sitting in the car in the parking lot. A masked man opened the door to the car, got in, sat down, and ordered her to drive. The woman refused, at which point the masked man beat her on the head, shoulders, and arms with his pistol, before taking her purse and leaving the vehicle. The manager of the Catherine’s told reporters that while the store has a surveillance camera, the incident probably will not appear on camera.

Georgia Law Holds Businesses Responsible for Negligent Security

While The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that some local governments are installing security cameras, many businesses lack sufficient security surveillance. Georgia law holds property owners liable for taking reasonable care to prevent injuries to their tenants and customers. That includes taking steps to avoid criminal activity that might harm customers who visit a property. If property owners are aware of violent crimes happening on their property or on nearby properties, the property owner is responsible for taking reasonable steps to secure their property. A victim of such a crime could sue the property owner for negligent security. One of the standard steps for commercial businesses to take is to install surveillance cameras in areas where crimes are likely to occur, such as parking lots and alleyways. Other common security measures include installing lighting in poorly-lit areas and hiring security guards.

Is the Shopping Center Liable for Negligent Security?

Is the property owner liable for negligent security in a case like the one that occurred Saturday in Austell? This depends on several different factors. First, did the property owner know that such a crime might occur? The answer depends on whether there have been crimes in the area previously. If crimes have happened in the parking lot or the vicinity of the business in the recent past, then the property owner probably was aware that such a crime might occur. Second, did the property owner take reasonable steps to secure the property against crime? It’s not completely clear here whether Catherine’s or other businesses in the shopping center had properly secured the area. For example, it’s possible that the owner of the shopping center should have installed surveillance cameras facing the area of the shopping center parking lot where the crime occurred. It’s also possible that the presence of a private security guard would have prevented the crime have occurring. If so, and if the shopping center failed to take these measures, they might be liable for negligent security.

Contact Us for Help

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a crime on someone else’s property, you need legal assistance from a professional. Get in touch with an experienced negligent security attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to get the compensation you deserve.

Theaters Without Metal Detectors May Be Liable for Negligent Security

A blue sky with white clouds and a glowing yellow sun in the corner and the back of a man holding a walkie talkie, wearing a black hat and a long sleeved black uniform with the word SECURITY written in white letters across the back.

Atlanta’s Fox Theatre Announces New Metal Detector Policy

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta has decided to install a new security measure: metal detectors at the front entrances. With this move, the theatre hopes to mirror the practices of other entertainment venues in the region, including football and baseball stadiums. The theatre will begin using the metal detectors for shows during its summer film festival. The metal detectors will be looking for items that are already prohibited in the theatre. That list includes firearms, pocket knives, and utility tools.

More Venues Introduce Metal Detectors

The announcement comes the same week that the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln Nebraska announced its new metal detector policy, the Lincoln Journal-Star reports. It’s not just keeping up with the Joneses that’s motivating the Fox to tighten security.  According to manager Allan Vella, the theatre “can’t help but see what’s going on in the world.” The theatre will use 8 to 10 metal detectors in the arcade section of the theatre during a full house event. The process will require patrons to remove keys and other metal items from their pockets before undergoing metal detection. Each patron will probably spend between five and seven minutes going through the process.

Georgia Law Holds Landowners Responsible for Providing Security

One motivating factor for arenas and theatres to tighten security may be to reduce their liability for criminal acts that occur on the premises. Georgia law holds landowners responsible for taking reasonable care to prevent injuries to their guests and customers. This includes doing what they can to prevent foreseeable injuries from criminal acts. Courts usually ask whether the area around the premises is a high-crime area and whether crimes have occurred at that location in the past.

Theaters Without Metal Detectors May Be Liable for Negligent Security

But cinemas, theaters and stadiums may pose a special case. These types of public venues have been the site of numerous violent shootings and terrorist attacks over the past few years. In the context of such a situation, a court may find that a theater is the foreseeable location of a shooting or violent attack. If that’s true, then the venue has a responsibility to take reasonable measures to prevent an attack from happening.

Usually, reasonableness is measured by what other similar businesses are doing. In the case of the Fox Theatre, the reasonable thing is probably to install metal detectors, since this is quickly becoming the standard practice for public venues.  Most of the venues that are announcing the use of metal detectors are large sports arenas rather than live theater venues. However, a 2012 shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado made national headlines, and for this reason, a court might find that a shooting at a similar venue, like the Fox Theatre, might be foreseeable.

Get Legal Help

If you or someone you know has suffered an injury on someone else’s property, you need legal advice. Get in touch with a premises liability lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to get the compensation you deserve.

Pool Accidents May Spell Liability for Property Owners

The blue water of an outdoor, inground pool with metal railings for stairs, surrounded by a tan concrete pool deck and green landscaping in the background.

Marietta Woman Walks for First Time in Years at Her Wedding

A Marietta woman who was paralyzed in a swimming pool accident was able to walk at her wedding last week, according to ABC News. The bride, Jacqui Goncher, suffered paralysis from the neck down after jumping into a friend’s pool in 2008 when she was 17. Although doctors gave her zero chance of recovering the use of her legs, physical therapy and exercise eventually allowed her to stand for short periods of time. Her low blood pressure prevented her from standing for more than 30 minutes. Not only was she able to walk down the aisle, but she danced with her groom at her wedding reception. It was the first time Goncher and her husband had ever danced together.

Goncher Was A High School Athlete Before Injury

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that before Goncher suffered paralysis from her pool accident, she was a high school athlete, playing on a fast-pitch softball team. But after the accident in her friend’s pool, she was trapped in a wheelchair for years. Friends and family were deeply moved to see Goncher dance at her wedding reception after years of disability. Photographs commemorating the occasion went viral over social media and found their way into newspapers across the world.

Georgia Law Holds Property Owners Responsible for Keeping Guests Safe

It’s a miracle that Mrs. Goncher was able to recover so much of her strength, but even now she suffers from a serious disability. Whenever someone loses the use of their limbs from an accident on someone else’s property, we have to ask whether or not the owner was liable for negligence. In Georgia, property owners are responsible for taking reasonable care to prevent injuries to their guests. That means repairing any dangerous problems on the property and making sure to warn their guests of any potential dangers. If the property owner fails to take reasonable care to fix potential dangers or warn their guests to avoid them, and this failure leads to an injury, then the property owner may be liable for the injury in a negligence lawsuit.

Goncher’s High School Host May Have Been Liable for Negligence

In Mrs. Goncher’s case, was her high school friend’s family responsible for her injuries? Although reports give few details of the accident that left Goncher bound to a wheelchair, we can imagine several situations that might have made her host liable. First, it’s possible that the pool was in a dangerous condition when Goncher jumped in. For example, if the level of the water in the pool was too low, and this led to Goncher’s injury, the property owner might be liable.

More likely, the pool was simply not deep enough to allow for safe diving. In that case, the property owner has a duty to their guests to warn them not to attempt to dive into the pool. If they don’t, and a diving guest injures themselves, then the owner might be liable for negligence. Another possibiity is that Goncher’s jump went wrong due to the conditions around the pool. Slippery deck surfaces could make a diving guest slip and strike their body against the edge of the pool, leading to serious injuries. If the host failed to take reasonable steps to keep the deck safe, or failed to warn their guests about the dangers of slipping, then the host might be liable for Goncher’s injuries.

Get Legal Help

If you or someone you know has suffered an injury on someone else’s property, you need legal advice. Get in touch with a premises liability lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to get the compensation you deserve.

Parents Criticize School Response to Active Shooter Scare

A black gun against a white background.

Student Had Gun on School Grounds

Police descended on a local high school when administrators found a gun on the campus, according to WSB-TV 2 Atlanta. One of the students of Pebblebrook High School had the gun in his possession when school staff found the weapon on Wednesday, August 10. Extra police personnel arrived at the school and patrolled the area for any other active shooter suspects. The student who had the gun in his possession is now in police custody.

School on Lockdown for Hours

A fellow student of Pebblebrook High noticed that one of the other students had a gun in his possession and notified school authorities. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that school administrators placed the school on lockdown when they learned of the possibility of a school shooting. Students were instructed to stay where they were for their first period classes until further notice from school officials. These students remained in place for over two hours while awaiting further instructions. School officials say that the lengthy lockdown was not necessary but the result of a technical problem. The school also alerted parents about the incident, which spread concern and panic through the community. Some parents wished that the school had notified them sooner so that they could have picked their children up from school or contacted them to make sure they were safe.

Negligent Security Lawsuits Hold Operator Liable for Injuries on Site

It seems that some parents felt the school didn’t do the right thing for the safety of their kids. In this situation, there’s no report that anyone suffered any injuries. But with school shootings on the rise throughout the country, administrators are under pressure to respond quickly and competently to any unforeseen security problem. From a legal standpoint, one question that arises is whether school administrators and their school districts might be liable for injuries to students that result from improper security practices.

A negligent security lawsuit is a lawsuit which argues that the person in charge of a building or property failed to take reasonable steps to prevent injury to its visitors or occupants, and that this failure led to injuries. At least one state university in Atlanta has already become the defendant of a negligent security lawsuit. Like state universities, school districts are specialized subdivisions of the state government.

Schools May Be Liable for Negligent Security

Like other state agencies, they are usually immune from lawsuits as long as they are following the law and standard procedure. But in some cases where the school officials fail to follow non-discretionary procedures, they may become liable in a lawsuit. For example, the Department of Homeland Security recommends that  schools and places of worship instruct their occupants to shelter in place in the event of an active shooter emergency. If a school were to instruct students to evacuate instead, and this led to injuries, the school might be liable in a negligent security lawsuit.

Get Legal Help

If you or someone you know has suffered an injury on the premises of a business or government agency, you should reach out to a skilled lawyer for help. Get in touch with a premises liability attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to get the help you need.