Get The Justice You Deserve
Legally Reviewed By:
"*" indicates required fields
Getting hurt by someone else’s negligence is scary enough. Finding out that better security may have reduced the risk makes it worse. If a store, apartment building, or parking lot lacked reasonable security measures and you were injured during a foreseeable crime, you may have a legal claim.
Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm helps people across Wisconsin hold property owners and other responsible parties accountable when inadequate security contributes to an attack, robbery, or assault. You should not have to carry the financial burden when another party’s negligence contributed to your injuries. We are here to help you understand your rights and fight for what you are owed.
Negligent security may occur when a property owner or another party controlling the premises fails to take reasonable steps to address a foreseeable risk of crime. This is different from a car accident or a slip-and-fall. Here, another person commits the crime. However, the property owner or another responsible party may share responsibility if inadequate security contributed to the injuries.
Property owners have a duty to keep their space reasonably safe. This includes apartment buildings, hotels, bars, gas stations, parking garages, shopping centers, and more. When they fail to provide basic safety measures, they may be held accountable for the harm that follows.
Negligent security cases can happen in many settings. Depending on the property’s risks and circumstances, examples may include:
If you were hurt in a situation like this, it is worth having your case reviewed. You may be entitled to compensation, even though the person who attacked you was not the property owner.
To establish a negligent security claim, you generally need to show that the risk of crime was foreseeable. This means the property owner knew, or should have known, that a crime like this could happen. Relevant factors may include prior crimes at or near the property, police calls, safety complaints, broken security features, and other warning signs the owner knew or should have known about.
You also need to show that the property owner or another responsible party failed to take reasonable steps to address the foreseeable risk. This could mean they had broken locks, no lighting, or no security staff, even though they knew there was a risk.
A few warning signs often show up in these cases. Property owners may have ignored safety risks if there was one or more of the following:
When property owners ignore these warning signs and fail to take reasonable action, that evidence may help show they knew or should have known about the risk.
Negligent security claims can come from many types of properties. Some of the most common locations include:
Negligent security cases may also overlap with other premises liability claims when unsafe property conditions contribute to someone’s injuries. If your injury happened somewhere else not listed here, it is still worth talking to us about your situation.
If your negligent security case is successful, you may be able to recover money for the harm you went through. This can include compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If a loved one died from injuries suffered in a negligent security incident, your family may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim.
Every case is different, and the amount you may be able to recover depends on your specific injuries and circumstances. Some negligent security cases involve life-changing harm that may qualify as a catastrophic injury claim if the injury causes permanent damage.
In many cases, a Wisconsin personal injury lawsuit must be filed within three years of the injury. However, some exceptions may change the deadline.
Because these cases can involve police reports, security footage, and witness statements, it helps to start working on your claim as soon as possible. Evidence can disappear quickly, especially security camera footage, which may only be stored for a limited time.
Negligent security cases can be hard to prove, but with our 90+ years of combined experience in these cases and recognition by Super Lawyers for 12 consecutive years running, you can trust us to fight for your rights. We built our firm on the Pemberton Promise. That means we prepare every case as if it is going to trial, even if it settles before then. Preparing each case as if it may go to trial helps our team investigate thoroughly and respond when an insurer disputes responsibility or damages.
We also work on a contingency-fee basis, so we do not get paid unless we recover compensation for you. If you were hurt because a property owner failed to keep you safe, reach out to Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm today. We offer a free case evaluation, and we are ready to talk through what happened and help you understand your options.
With four offices across the state, we're never far from where you need us.
Insurance companies profit when you lose. Every claim they deny, every settlement they lowball, every injured person they convince to accept less—that’s money in their pocket. And they’re very good at what they do.
At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, we’ve made it our mission to take on the insurance companies that put profits over people. We know every underhanded tactic they’ll use to cheat you out of fair compensation, and we’re prepared to fight fire with fire. When insurance adjusters see us coming, they know they’re in for a real battle. You didn’t ask to be injured.
You didn’t ask to fight a billion-dollar corporation. But now that you’re here, you deserve lawyers who will go to war for you. We don’t settle for less than full compensation, we don’t back down from tough fights, and we don’t let insurance companies bully our clients. PERIOD.
Life following a serious injury can bring intense emotions and pain. Accident victims often hope to get their lives back on track, only to be held back by the demands involved with personal injury claims. This is especially the case for individuals who become hospitalized. Wherever you are in the process, we’d be glad to help.
Our injury lawyers in Wisconsin step up to represent you. At Pemberton, we provide this advocacy at every step in the injury claims process so you can be on your way to feeling like yourself again.
Contact our Wisconsin personal injury attorneys at (608) 448-6242 to speak with one of our experienced attorneys. We will create a plan together to help you protect your rights and get you back to your life.
$40M+ Won For Our Clients
The client suffered multiple facial lacerations—including scratches to the right eyelid and below the eyes—a red mark on the nose, and swelling and bruising to the eyelids. After incurring $21,663.78 in medical treatment, our firm secured a $400,000 settlement to compensate the client for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and the potential for lasting cosmetic and emotional harm.
In this slip and fall case, the client suffered a broken and dislocated ankle requiring open surgery to repair the break, torn ligaments, and damaged ankle joint. The injury required multiple surgical procedures including metal hardware placement and removal of loose bone fragments from the joint. With medical bills exceeding $104,000, we secured a $345,000 settlement—more than triple the medical expenses—compensating the client for the severe injury, extensive surgical intervention, and the profound impact the accident had on his business and livelihood.
The client suffered a fractured femur near the hip after a serious fall. We secured a $200,000 settlement to compensate for the client’s injuries. Although no lien reduction was possible, the result provided substantial financial recovery for the client.
Client sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by a driver who passed away at the scene. We obtained close to the policy limits with an additional claimant pre-suit and negotiated medical liens down over $250,000.
In this car accident case, the client suffered catastrophic injuries in a head-on collision when the at-fault driver crossed the center line. Her injuries included multiple broken bones in the chest, ribs, wrist, and ankle, internal injuries requiring intestinal surgery, and a damaged artery in the spine. With medical expenses exceeding $4,000, we secured the at-fault driver’s full insurance coverage and pursued an additional $1,000,000 from the client’s own insurance policy. We also negotiated a reduction of more than $468,000 in outstanding medical costs to ensure the client received maximum financial recovery for her life-altering injuries and permanent impact on her ability to work.
The client’s loved one suffered a fatal injury in an auto collision that resulted in over $382,000 in medical bills. Acting as the family’s second attorney, we navigated difficult policy-limit issues and secured a $1,000,000 settlement. While the case had greater overall value and the family would have liked a higher recovery, they chose to settle to avoid prolonged litigation and move forward.
“If you ever need an attorney, he would be the first one I recommend”
“Focus on healing and we will take care of everything on the legal side”
“If you ever need an attorney, he would be the first one I recommend”
