Is my landlord liable if was attacked at my apartment complex?

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home. If you’ve been the victim of a home invasion or if you’ve been assaulted in an apartment complex or other rental property – whether you live there or not – you may be entitled to compensation from the owner of the property for your injuries. There are many ways for a landlord to ensure the safety of his or her tenants; making sure parking lots and laundry areas are well lit, installing cameras, and hiring security guards are just a few of the obvious methods available to improve security where tenants are supposed to feel the most safe. However, other methods specific to dwellings such as apartments and homes are available to the landlord as well. For example, laundry and communal areas can be made accessible only via key, pass card, or security code to keep non-tenants and potential assailants out. Every door on a rental property, where maintenance workers, property managers, and other employees have access, should also possess a method of locking the door only operable from the inside, such as a deadbolt, slide lock, or chain. While exterior key locks, such as tumbler locks, protect against burglars that would attempt to gain entry while the dwelling is vacant, they do nothing to keep out uninvited persons who possess a copy of the key. Likewise, any person employed by the property owner who might have access to the property ought to be the subject of a very rigorous and in-depth background check to further protect any tenants or guests.

In 2009, a California custodian was robbed and assaulted by two men who were yelling racial epithets at her. Authorities said the two men her on her forearm, held her against her will and ripped her shirt open. There was no arrest made in the case. Business owners later said a gap in the back wall of the area gave teenagers a quick way in and out. While the gap was later sealed with a fence by the property manager, if those steps had been taken sooner that crime and trauma could have been avoided.

If you or a loved one have been injured at work, and believe that your injury could have been prevented by the property owner implementing better security measures, you need an attorney that has experience in dealing with negligent security claims by your side to make sure you receive all the benefits and compensation you are entitled to as a result of your injury. You need experienced and aggressive attorneys like Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys to help you get everything to which you may be entitled. Call us at 800-257-1822 for a free consultation and to have all your questions answered regarding your injury.