You went outside to take the trash one night and someone jumped out of the bushes and assaulted you. If this or something similar has happened to you, then you may be able to hold your landord liable for any injuries that you were left with.
In virtually every jurisdiction, landlords are responsible for ensuring the safety of their tenants. Protecting them from becoming a crime victim is at the top of that list.
This is one of the reasons that property owners perform background checks on their residents before their lease is approved. It’s their responsibility to at least show that they didn’t willfully rent an apartment to a known drug dealer or other type of criminal.
It’s also important that a landlord takes extra precautions to make a property safer if some crime has happened there in the past. If they don’t, then an injured victim may be able to sue the owner for damages caused by them having negligent security or safety measures in place.
If it can be proven that the property owner didn’t adhere to proper safety laws in the jurisdiction where the property is located, then they may be deemed to have been negligent. Oftentimes. these laws will require rentals to be outfitted with both a deadbolt and locking doorknob. In other cases, there will also need to be a chain lock installed as well.
It may be necessary for a landlord to respond to a wave of burglaries by installing security cameras, alarms on windows or taking any appropriate measures necessary to render the area as safe. If a landlord is notified of a security breach, then it’s important that they remedy the situation right away to show that they’re taking the matter seriously.
Many of us have likely heard of holding a landlord accountable for injuries or illnesses such as slips and falls that we may have suffered due to poor building maintenance. Although proving that your injuries may have occurred because of negligent security is often difficult to do, an experienced New Haven premises liability attorney can advise you whether it’s possible in your case.
