Assault on Business or Landlord Property

Business owners and landlords have a duty to make sure that their property is reasonably safe. This duty extends to common areas, parking lots and other areas open to the public including playgrounds, offices and storefronts. This duty also extends not just to maintaining the physical structure of the property in a safe manner, but also to providing appropriate lighting and security to protect guests and visitors from dangers that might exist due to third parties. If a business owner knows that a parking lot could be dangerous and people could be robbed in that lot, for instance, the business owner may have an obligation or legal duty to provide security in the parking lot area.

Because property owners have a duty to provide reasonable security to ensure that their properties are safe, people who are injured by assault on business or landlord property may be able to make a claim against the property owner or landlord. Negligent security claims can be legally complex since you will need to show that a landlord/business owner's breach of duty was responsible for the assault. As such, it is very important to have proper legal representation. The Boston premises liability lawyers at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers have handled many negligent security cases after assaults and we can put our legal experience to work for you. Contact us today at (617) 777-7777 or using our online form to learn how we can help.

In many instances where assault occurs on someone's property, the property owner may take the view that the crime was just a random happening and that the only person responsible for the crime was the person who committed the assault. Under Massachusetts law, however, this is not always the case. The duty that property owners have to maintain their property and to make it safe for tenants or customers also requires property owners to make sure they don't allow for dangerous situations that make crime more likely to occur.

Under Massachusetts law, the key question that comes up in negligent security cases to determine the responsibility of the tenant or property owner is whether the crime could have been anticipated. This doesn't mean that the property owner had to anticipate the specific assault or specific crime that you were the victim of. If there was reason for the owner to suspect any type of crime- such as recent assaults in the area or customers leaving the store with expensive merchandise that might entice criminals- then the property owner becomes liable for providing security measures to eliminate or minimize the risk of the crime occurring.

If you are injured as a result of an assault on someone's property, you will have the burden of showing that the property owner had reason to suspect a danger and was lax in taking protective steps to prevent that danger, such as providing better security or better lighting of the parking lot area. An experienced premises liability lawyer can help you to gather the evidence you need in order to demonstrate that the property owner failed you and breached a legal duty. If you can prove this breach, the property owner becomes liable for all damages resulting from the breach, including paying medical bills arising from the assault as well as compensating you for lost time from work, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other losses that occurred as a result of being assaulted. Your Boston personal injury lawyer will explain the different types of damages you may be entitled to and will do everything possible to help you maximize your compensation after the assault.

To learn more about how a Boston premises liability lawyer can help you after an assault on a business owner or landlord's property, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today at (617) 777-7777 or using our online form.