Chicago Negligent Security Lawyer
Did you or someone you love suffer injuries during an assault, sexual attack, robbery, or other violent crime on another person’s property in Chicago? Beyond physical injuries, victims often face emotional trauma, lost income, and overwhelming medical bills. You should not bear these burdens when a property owner fails to take reasonable steps to keep the premises safe.
Under Illinois premises liability law, property owners, landlords, and businesses have a legal duty to provide reasonable security for tenants, customers, and lawful visitors. When they ignore known crime risks and fail to implement basic security measures, they may be held legally responsible for resulting injuries.
At Ankin Law, our Chicago negligent security lawyers represent victims harmed by preventable acts of violence. We act quickly to preserve evidence, investigate security failures, and work with experts to show how proper security could have prevented the attack. Let us help you hold negligent property owners accountable and pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability, and emotional distress.
You deserve answers and accountability. Contact Ankin Law for a free consultation with a Chicago negligent security lawyer. Call (312) 600-0000.
“Violent crimes rarely come out of nowhere. In many negligent security cases, the warning signs were there long before someone was hurt. When property owners ignore known risks, they should be held accountable.”
— Howard Ankin, Founder, Ankin Law
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Examples of Negligent Security
Negligent security occurs when a property owner or manager fails to take reasonable precautions to protect people from foreseeable criminal activity like muggings, violent attacks, and sexual assaults. In a city like Chicago, crime risks are often well documented. When owners ignore those risks and someone is harmed, liability may follow.
Below are common examples of negligent security.
Insufficient Lighting
Poorly lit parking garages and lots, stairwells, hallways, and entrances provide cover for criminals. Failure to install or maintain adequate lighting can support a negligent security claim when an assault or robbery occurs in those areas.
Broken or Inadequate Locks
Malfunctioning door locks, broken deadbolts, unsecured gates, or outdated access systems allow unauthorized entry. When owners ignore repair requests or fail to address obvious access vulnerabilities, they may be liable for resulting attacks.
Lack of Surveillance
In higher-risk locations, cameras and trained security personnel are basic safeguards. Failing to install surveillance, monitor existing systems, or provide security staff where crime is foreseeable can constitute negligent security.
Inadequate Response Protocols
Security involves more than equipment. Ignoring prior complaints, failing to train employees, or lacking emergency response procedures, especially at large gatherings like concerts and sporting events, can significantly increase the risk of harm.
Ignoring Previous Incidents
A history of assaults, robberies, or police calls puts owners on notice of danger. Failure to increase lighting, add cameras, restrict access, or hire security after prior incidents is strong evidence of negligence.
Neglecting to Screen Employees or Tenants
In some cases, inadequate background checks or poor screening practices allow dangerous individuals access to the property. When foreseeable harm results, this failure may support a negligence claim.
In these types of situations, the key question is whether the property owner or manager took reasonable steps to address security risks. If not, and you were harmed as a result, you may have a viable negligent security case.
What Damages Can Be Recovered in a Negligent Security Lawsuit?
In an Illinois negligent security lawsuit, victims may recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses caused by the property owner’s failure to provide reasonable security.
In Illinois, recoverable damages typically include:
- Medical expenses: Emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, medication, therapy, counseling, and future treatment
- Future medical care and rehabilitation: Long-term therapy, in-home care, and assistive devices
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity: Income lost during recovery and reduced ability to work in the future
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain and diminished quality of life
- Emotional distress: Anxiety, PTSD, depression, and sleep disorders
- Property damage: Repair or replacement of stolen or damaged items
Punitive damages may be available in rare cases involving willful or reckless misconduct. An experienced negligent security lawyer can evaluate all potential damages based on your circumstances.
The exact value of your negligent security lawsuit will depend on the facts of your case, the severity of your injuries, and how the incident affects your life.
Our Chicago premises liability attorneys are experienced in negligent security cases. We can help identify all available damages and build the evidence needed to support them.
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Injured by a medical provider? Check out our medical malpractice knowledge center to learn more about medical malpractice cases.
Why Hire Ankin Law For Your Chicago Negligent Security Case?
Negligent security cases involve complex legal and factual issues, including crime foreseeability, industry security standards, and Illinois premises liability law. Successfully handling these claims requires more than basic personal injury knowledge. It demands a firm with proven experience investigating prior criminal activity, analyzing property security practices, and working with qualified security and medical experts. You need a law firm with the resources, reputation, and litigation experience to take on property owners, management companies, and their insurance carriers, and to pursue full and fair compensation on your behalf.
At Ankin Law:
- We investigate prior incidents, security policies, lighting, access controls, and surveillance systems
- We work with security, medical, and financial experts to prove causation and damages
- We handle all insurance communications and negotiations
- We work on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing unless we recover compensation
If you were attacked due to inadequate security, let us handle the legal burden. Call (312) 600-0000 for a free consultation.
Determining Liability in a Chicago Negligent Security Case
To succeed in a negligent security claim, you must prove more than the fact that a crime occurred. Key elements include:
- Duty of care: Property owners owe lawful visitors reasonable protection
- Foreseeability: Prior crimes, police reports, and complaints establish known risk
- Breach of duty: Failure to provide reasonable security measures
- Causation: The security failure substantially contributed to the injury
- Proximate cause: The harm was a foreseeable result of inadequate security
Our attorneys gather surveillance footage, maintenance records, incident reports, witness statements, and expert opinions to build strong cases. Acting quickly helps preserve critical evidence.
Where Do Most Negligent Security Cases Arise?
Negligent security claims commonly occur in locations open to the public or residents, including:
Negligent Security at Work
Employers and property owners may be liable for attacks in unsecured buildings or parking areas. Some victims may have both workers’ compensation and third-party negligent security claims.
Negligent Security in Universities and Colleges
Colleges must provide reasonable campus security. Failures involving dorm access, lighting, patrols, or warnings can lead to serious assaults and liability.
Negligent Security at Hotels and Resorts
Hotels must protect guests through secure room access, monitored common areas, and trained staff. Poor security may expose hotels to liability for guest injuries.
Negligent Security at Apartments and Residential Facilities
Apartment buildings, condominiums, and residential complexes are frequent sites of negligent security claims. Landlords who fail to repair broken entry doors, ignore reports of dangerous activity, or skip basic safety measures like lighting and cameras can expose tenants and guests to serious crimes such as assaults, home invasions, and robberies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Negligent Security Lawsuits
What Are Negligent Security Laws in Illinois?
Negligent security cases in Illinois fall under premises liability law. Property owners, landlords, and businesses must take reasonable steps to keep lawful visitors safe from foreseeable dangers, including certain criminal acts. When they fail to provide basic security measures in the face of known risks, and someone is injured, the victim may pursue a negligent security claim for compensation. The specific duties and standards that apply depend on the type of property, its location, and the history of criminal activity in the area.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Negligent Security Cases in Illinois?
In Illinois, the statute of limitations for most negligent security and other personal injury cases is generally two years from the date of the incident. Some exceptions may apply, such as cases involving minors or certain government entities. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your right to file a lawsuit, no matter how strong your case is. Because time limits can be complicated, it is important to speak with a negligent security lawyer as soon as possible after the incident.
When Is a Property Owner Liable for Negligent Security Injuries?
A property owner may be liable for negligent security injuries when:
- The victim was a lawful visitor, tenant, guest, customer, or invitee.
- The owner knew or should have known that criminal activity or violent incidents were reasonably likely.
- The owner failed to take reasonable security measures under the circumstances.
- That failure contributed to a crime that caused the victim’s injuries.
An experienced Chicago attorney at Ankin Law can review what happened, evaluate the property’s security measures, and advise you whether the facts support a claim.
What Our Clients Say About Us
I had a very positive experience with Ankin Law. This is my second case with this office, and both times my attorney Maria Merman did an excellent job, going above and beyond to help me. I am so grateful for Maria’s passion, dedication, and professionalism. She not only reached the best results possible, but she also gave me peace of mind, graciously taking care of every detail. She worked tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome on my behalf, and I can’t thank her enough.
Helpful Resources from Our Chicago Negligent Security Lawyers
Understanding the Property Owner’s Duty of Care
Property owners in Illinois have a duty of care to maintain a reasonably safe environment for visitors, which includes repairing hazards and promptly addressing dangerous conditions. Visitors are often classified as invitees or licensees, and owners generally owe a higher duty of care to invitees, such as customers and tenants. For trespassers, the duty is more limited, with important exceptions for minors.
To win a premises liability case, an injured person must typically prove:
- The existence of a duty of care.
- A breach of that duty.
- An injury caused by the breach.
- Actual damages, such as medical bills and lost income.
Damages may include both economic losses, such as medical costs and lost wages, and non-economic losses, such as pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
How Do Prior Crimes Affect a Negligent Security Case?
Prior criminal activity on or near a property plays a critical role in negligent security cases because it helps establish foreseeability. In Illinois, property owners may be held liable when they knew or should have known that violent crime was likely based on prior incidents, police reports, 911 calls, or tenant complaints. When owners ignore this history and fail to increase lighting, add security personnel, repair access points, or install surveillance, those failures can support a negligent security claim if someone is injured.
Can a Property Owner Be Liable for Third-Party Criminal Acts?
Yes. Under Illinois premises liability law, property owners can be held liable for injuries caused by third-party criminal acts when those acts were reasonably foreseeable and could have been prevented with reasonable security measures. Liability often arises when owners fail to address known security risks, such as broken locks, poor lighting, unsecured entrances, or a lack of monitoring in high-crime areas. If a security failure substantially contributed to the attack, the property owner may be responsible for the resulting injuries and losses.