Filing A Negligent Security Lawsuit In Minnesota

Property owners have a duty to protect anyone that they welcome onto their premises. We’ve talked about duty of care when a homeowner fails to protect friends, family or neighbors who enter their property, but we haven’t really explored the responsibilities of businesses, shopping centers or apartment complex managers. More specifically, their responsibility for preventing guests from becoming a victim of violence on their property. If they fail to protect the public from violent crime, they could be held liable in a negligent security lawsuit. We take a closer look at Minnesota’s negligent security lawsuit in today’s blog.

Understanding Minnesota’s Negligent Security Law

As the name implies, individuals are able to pursue a personal injury claim if they can prove that a property owner or business failed to take reasonable measures to prevent a person from becoming a victim of violent crime on their property. What is considered “reasonable” will be up to interpretation and determined on a case by case basis, but we’ll share a number of examples that would likely result in a successful negligent security lawsuit by the victim or their family:

A woman is assaulted in her apartment complex lobby by an individual who entered the area due to a broken lock on the main entrance door.

A man is shot in a dark parking lot of a shopping center that lacked adequate lighting, cameras or security personnel.

A person is assaulted by a drunk individual who was overserved at the bar.

A person is injured during a fight at a concert due to inadequate security for the size of the event.

These are just a few examples, but if reasonable steps could have been taken by the business or property owner to prevent your injuries, odds are you will be able to win your case.

Who Can Be Held Liable For Negligent Security Lawsuits?

We touched on some of the parties that could be held liable in a negligent security lawsuit in Minnesota, but anyone that takes responsibility for the safety of a guest can be held accountable if the individual is victimized. That includes:

Businesses
Shopping centers
Apartment management companies
Third party security companies
Hotels
Bars/Nightclubs
Hospitals
Schools

If you have been victimized on one of these properties and you believe the incident could have been prevented with a little foresight by the property owner, you owe it to yourself to connect with a personal injury firm like Margolis Law Office. We will take a closer look at the incident and put together a strong case that showcases that the property owner failed to uphold their duty of keeping you safe from violent crime. Even if the incident seemed random, there’s a significant possibility that more could have been done to prevent the tragedy, and you have a right to be protected in these areas, so consider talking to a lawyer.

For more information about negligent security lawsuits in Minnesota, or for help with a different type of personal injury or workers’ compensation case, reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.