Negligent Security Attorney in Nashville

Negligent security is a legal concept that seeks to hold property owners responsible for injuries that occur on their property due to their negligence.

Negligent security is a complex area of premises liability law. For this reason, it is always advisable to work with an experienced negligent security attorney if you or your loved one has been injured at someone else's property due to their negligence.

There are so many different ways negligent security lawyers in Nashville, TN, can help. Here is an overview of what to expect when you contact such an attorney.

Case Evaluation

A negligent security attorney can help review your case to determine whether you have a valid claim against the other party. For example, at Morgan and Morgan, we offer a free, no-obligation case evaluation. This allows our attorneys to analyze the specifics of your case and determine whether it is valid. And if it is valid, we will walk you through the next steps.

Collecting Evidence

You need strong evidence to hold the other party liable for their negligence. That is where a negligent security attorney comes in. After reviewing the specifics of your case, the attorney will also determine the kind of evidence that best suits that particular situation. The kind of evidence you need will depend on the specifics of your case. Examples include:

• Photos and videos
• Medical reports
• Police reports
• Witness accounts
• Expert opinions

And so much more.

Establishing Liability

You must identify the liable parties to file a successful lawsuit or claim. In some cases, more than one party might be responsible for negligent security. For example, the event organizer might be responsible if you or your loved one got injured at a music festival due to inadequate security. But if the available security personnel were undertrained, unqualified, or ill-equipped, the security company might also be responsible.

Assessing Damages

The attorney will also assess damages you or your loved one suffered due to negligent security. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you might have suffered both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are the kind of damages that involve loss of money in one way or another. Examples of these damages include but are not limited to:

• Medical expenses
• Cost of hiring a caregiver
• Ambulance costs
• Cost of medical equipment
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning potential
• Cost of transport to and from your medical appointments

On the other hand, non-economic damages are the kind of damages that do not involve the loss of money. Examples of non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish/distress
• Permanent disfigurement
• Low self-esteem
• Loss of enjoyment of life

In addition, your spouse might be able to file a loss of consortium claim. This claim alleges that the injury you sustained due to someone else's negligence significantly influenced your relationship with your spouse. For example, let's say you got shot by armed robbers who gained access to your property due to negligent security by your landlord.

In that case, if you suffer permanent paralysis waist down, chances are you will likely not be able to have an intimate relationship with your partner. For this reason, they may be able to file a loss of consortium claim against the landlord for their negligence, which allowed the armed robbers to attack you.

The judge or jury might also award you punitive damages to punish the defendant for their gross negligence and warn other individuals or entities in similar situations against such kind of negligence.

Creating a Legal Strategy

When it comes to personal injury cases, you need a legal strategy to stand a chance of winning. This is usually one of the greatest benefits of working with an experienced negligent security attorney. With proper planning and execution, you may secure reasonable compensation.

Such an attorney can also offer crucial legal advice regarding your case. This includes but is not limited to what you should or should not do after the incident.

Filing a Claim or Lawsuit

Most personal injury cases settle out of court. For this reason, the attorney will likely file a claim with the other party's insurance company. However, there is no guarantee that the insurance company will be willing to settle the case, especially if they have a reason to believe their client was not responsible for your injuries.

Insurance companies can also refuse to settle the claim if they believe you played a part in the injuries. If so, your attorney can negotiate further or file a lawsuit, presenting the case before a judge or judge.

Negotiating Settlements

Competent negligent security attorneys are skilled negotiators. When negotiating a reasonable settlement with the other party, such attorneys will always put your interests first, giving you peace of mind.

Court Preparation and Representation

Certain court processes, such as discovery and depositions, can be stressful, especially for individuals who have never been in similar situations. For this reason, a negligent security attorney can help you prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for such complex processes.

The attorney will also represent you in court. This is especially important because the other party will likely have their team of legal representatives fighting for them.

To win a negligent security case, you must prove four key elements. Without proving these four elements, you may not be able to hold the other party responsible even if you were injured at their property and they were negligent.

First, you must prove that the other party owed you a duty of care. So if you were robbed at the mall, chances are the mall owners owed you a duty of care. However, this will also depend on the specifics of the case. For example, if you were robbed at the mall's parking lot, the owners might be responsible because they failed to provide enough security at their parking lot.

However, if you were robbed inside the store at the mall, the store owners might be responsible for their failure to provide security. Like any other negligent security case, this scenario is also subject to debate.

Secondly, you must prove that the other party was negligent. To prove negligence, you must be able to show that they breached their duty of care. In other words, they knew or should have known that they owed you a duty of care but breached this duty.

For instance, if the mall owners knew or should have known that their parking lot is prone to violent crimes, you expect them to beef up security around that area. If you get injured due to a lack of security, this amounts to a breach of duty of care.

Thirdly, you must also be able to prove that you got injured due to the defendant's breach of duty of care. In other words, you may not receive compensation if the defendant was negligent, but their negligence did not harm you. The whole point of filing a negligent security lawsuit or claim is to receive compensation for your injuries. Therefore, you cannot be compensated if you fail to prove that you were injured in the first place.
 
Some common injuries in negligent security cases include but are not limited to:

• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Rape and assault
• Panic attacks and anxiety
• Cuts and bruises
• Relationship problems
• Nightmares and insomnia

Lastly, you must also be able to prove that you suffered damages due to the negligent security incident. Damages are the consequences of your injuries. Therefore, even if you were injured due to the other party's negligence, you may not recover compensation if you fail to demonstrate that you incurred damages due to the injuries.

The exact value of your negligent security case will depend on the specifics of the case. Specifically, the kind of injuries and damages sustained due to negligent security will determine the amount of compensation you may be entitled to. For this reason, it is always advisable to avoid attorneys or law firms that promise to help you recover a certain amount as compensation for your injuries, especially if they have not reviewed your case.

Your economic and non-economic damages aside, punitive damages will also influence the compensation. It is worth noting that certain states, including Tennessee, limit the punitive damages a plaintiff may be entitled to.

In Tennessee, for example, you can only recover no more than two times the compensatory damages or $500,000, whichever is greater.

Not all law firms or attorneys you come across can handle your case. Here are the most important things to consider when looking for the right negligent security lawyer to handle your case:

What is their reputation? A good negligent security attorney or law firm should have a good reputation for handling personal injury cases in Tennessee. For example, at Morgan and Morgan, we have more than 25,000 5-star reviews from happy clients on Google, a testimony of our good reputation.

What is their track record? You also need an attorney or law firm with a great history of winning. At Morgan and Morgan, we have helped our clients recover more than $25 billion as compensation for different injuries since 1988.

Do they have the resources to fight for you? Negligent security cases are complex. They require a lot of time and legal resources. If you do not hire an attorney or law firm with powerful resources, they will likely settle for a lowball offer.

But you should not be concerned about that when you hire Morgan and Morgan negligent security lawyers in Nashville. We are the largest and most powerful personal injury law firm in the United States, serving clients from coast to coast.  

So if you or your loved one has been injured due to someone's failure to provide adequate security at their property, we might be able to fight for you. All you need to do is fill out our free case evaluation form. One of our legal representatives will review your case and get in touch regarding the next steps forward.