You expect to be safe when you go to a bar, club, or other public hangouts. Your purpose is to enjoy the evening with your friends, and you should not have to worry about being attacked. The same goes for visiting a shopping mall or other retail outlet. If you must use a parking garage, then the facility should have a security guard during opening hours and should take the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of patrons.
Most vendors understand the necessity of protecting their patrons. However, some companies put profits over people and cut corners that endanger the lives of others. If you have been injured as a result of an attack in a bar, club, restaurant, parking garage, or another public facility, you do have legal options. You can sue the owners for negligent security.
Negligent security is a form of premises liability. To prove negligent security, you must demonstrate that you were:
- Inside the property lawfully
- Suffered serious injuries
- Suffered these injuries owing to the breach of the business owner’s duty to provide reasonable security
Why Some Businesses Must Have Security
A person that runs a small shop, an out-of-the-way design studio, or an independent bookstore may want to monitor what goes on in their spaces and may install simple alarm systems, but they need not hire security guards to patrol the grounds and protect their patrons. Security is needed wherever there is a high concentration of people. It is also needed in spaces in which people are especially vulnerable to assault. And security is needed in nearly all drinking establishments that stay open until late.
Bar and club fights are common. The night club scene contains the mixture needed to spark violent encounters. Most people arrive long after they have eaten and after they have consumed copious amounts of alcohol. More drink, loud music, high congestion, and various other environmental and psychological factors combine to make people—men especially—aggressive.
The presence of trained and qualified security personnel is necessary for such a situation. It is the job of such professionals to defuse tense situations; and if the matter cannot be resolved or erupts into violence before they intervene, then the security guards must eject the troublesome persons from the premises. The bouncers must remain vigilant.
They are not there for show; they are there to keep people safe. And if the place you went to did not have enough bouncers to meet this aim or hired bouncers who were inattentive, negligent, or ineffective, a simple disagreement can turn into a fight that can severely affect your well-being.
Why You Need a Lawyer
In the aftermath of a barroom brawl, emergency services will be called. If you were injured in the fight, you should go to the hospital and have yourself examined by a physician. Even if you are not in pain or see no physical signs of severe injury, you should have yourself checked out by a physician.
Your next call should be to Philadelphia personal injury attorney—especially if you were seriously hurt in the incident. You need someone who will listen, who wants to hear your side of the story.
During the initial meeting, your attorney will ask you to recount the events that led up to the fight. They will also ask about your current state of health and the prognosis for your recovery. Your attorney will use what you tell them to build up a case against the owner of the premises.
The Financial Impact of a Serious Injury
Although most bar fights lead only to busted lips, black eyes, and damaged egos, others can be serious. A patron was killed in a recent night club attack in Santa Ana. And such incidents can lead to severe injuries that are just short of death.
Night club attacks occur in dark and noisy places. The perpetrator of such an attack cannot always see what they are hitting when they strike someone. And if they are intoxicated and intensely aggressive, they may lose complete control and not know when to stop. If you have been the victim of such a vicious assault, you may have to spend some time in the hospital. Your condition may put you on your back for months, without the means to earn a living and pay your regular bills and medical expenses.
If you believe that the fight could have been prevented or its severity reduced had there been adequate security, then you should hold the business owners accountable.
What an Attorney Will Do
A Philadelphia personal injury attorney will help you get justice and compensation. The first thing your lawyer will do is launch their own investigation into the incident. They will work with their own investigation professionals to interview witnesses and gather fresh evidence. There may be individuals who witnessed the fight and are unwilling to speak to the police. These same people may be more inclined to speak to a civilian investigator. One of them may have captured the entire incident on camera, which can go a long way toward proving the negligence of the club owners.
Your lawyer will also make inquiries into the practices and operations of the club. They will gather the evidence necessary to prove that the facility cut corners when it came to security, which ultimately led to a situation that got out of hand and caused you to suffer.
The training and experience of the bouncers on duty will also be examined. If the people hired to do the job were in no way qualified for it, then the owners must be held accountable.
Getting You Justice
Kwartler Manus is a Philadelphia personal injury attorney with years of experience. He will know how to put together a negligent security case that will lead to a positive outcome for you. If you have been the victim of negligent security, contact us for a free consultation.
Don’t let the negligence of another person negatively impact your future. Call today to schedule your free case evaluate