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Property owners and businesses have a duty to provide reasonable security measures to protect visitors from foreseeable criminal acts. When inadequate security leads to assaults, robberies, or other violent crimes, victims may have grounds for a negligent security lawsuit. If you were injured due to a property owner’s failure to provide adequate security in Chicago, an experienced negligent security lawyer can help you seek justice.
What Is Negligent Security?
Negligent security claims arise when property owners fail to implement reasonable security measures and this failure allows a foreseeable crime to occur. Common examples include:
- Inadequate lighting – Dark parking lots, stairwells, or common areas
- Broken locks or gates – Non-functioning security barriers
- Lack of security personnel – No guards where crime risk is known
- Malfunctioning surveillance – Broken or fake security cameras
- Failure to screen employees – Not conducting background checks
- Ignoring prior incidents – Not addressing known security problems
- Deficient access control – No key cards, intercoms, or visitor screening
Locations Where Negligent Security Occurs
Security negligence cases often arise at:
- Apartment complexes – Inadequate security in common areas
- Parking garages and lots – Poor lighting and no security
- Hotels and motels – Unsafe room access or grounds
- Shopping centers – Insufficient patrol and monitoring
- Nightclubs and bars – Lack of trained security staff
- Office buildings – Inadequate access control
- Schools and universities – Campus security failures
- Hospitals – Patient and visitor safety lapses
- Public transit stations – CTA and Metra security issues
Types of Crimes Resulting from Inadequate Security
Negligent security can enable various criminal acts:
- Assault and battery
- Armed robbery and mugging
- Sexual assault and rape
- Carjacking
- Kidnapping
- Shootings and stabbings
- Hate crimes
- Wrongful death from violent crimes
Illinois Premises Liability Law
Illinois law requires property owners to exercise reasonable care to protect visitors from foreseeable harm. Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130/), business owners owe a duty of care to their invitees. To succeed in a negligent security case, plaintiffs must prove:
- The property owner owed a duty of care
- The crime was foreseeable based on prior incidents or area crime rates
- The owner failed to provide reasonable security measures
- This failure was a proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries
- The plaintiff suffered actual damages
How to Compare Firms
There is no objective ranking of the “best” injury lawyer in Chicago, and you should be sceptical of any list that claims otherwise — including lists published by law firms themselves. What does exist is a set of questions that reliably separate a firm that will do the work from one that will not. Ask each firm you speak to:
- Who will actually handle my file? The lawyer in the advertisement is often not the lawyer doing the work. Ask for the name of the person who will run your case and how often you will hear from them.
- How many cases like mine have you taken to trial? Settlement value is influenced by whether the other side believes you will try the case. A firm that never tries cases negotiates from a weaker position.
- What is your fee, and what happens to costs if we lose? Contingency fees are standard, usually around one third. Case costs — filing fees, expert witnesses, medical records — are a separate question, and you should get a clear written answer about who pays them if the case does not succeed.
- What is my deadline? A firm that cannot tell you which limitations period applies to your specific facts is not the right firm. Some Illinois deadlines are one year, not two.
- What is this case realistically worth, and why? Be wary of a number promised at the first meeting, before anyone has reviewed your medical records.
Where Phillips Law Offices Fits
A disclosure, because it matters when you are weighing this advice: this guide is published by Phillips Law Offices, and we are one of the firms you could hire. We have handled Illinois injury cases since 1945 and we work on contingency, so there is no fee unless we recover for you. You should still do exactly what this guide recommends and speak to more than one firm before signing anything. Most reputable firms, ours included, offer a free consultation precisely so you can compare.
If you want to talk it through, call (312) 346-4262 or request a free case review. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case depends on its own facts.
Proving Foreseeability
A key element in negligent security cases is proving the crime was foreseeable. Evidence may include:
- Prior crime reports at the property
- Neighborhood crime statistics
- Complaints from tenants or visitors about security
- Industry standards for similar properties
- Expert testimony on reasonable security measures
- Prior security assessments or recommendations
Compensation Available
Victims of negligent security may recover:
- Medical expenses – Emergency care, surgeries, ongoing treatment
- Mental health treatment – Therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression
- Lost wages – Income lost during recovery
- Lost earning capacity – Reduced future earning ability
- Pain and suffering – Physical and emotional trauma
- Property loss – Stolen items during robbery
- Wrongful death – Compensation for families who lose loved ones
Steps to Take After a Crime
- Call 911 – Report the crime immediately
- Get medical attention – Document all injuries
- Preserve evidence – Keep clothing and don’t alter the scene
- Document the location – Note security measures that were absent or broken
- Get the police report – Obtain a copy of the official report
- Identify witnesses – Collect contact information
- Contact an attorney – Before evidence is lost or destroyed
Official Resources
- Illinois Premises Liability Act
- Chicago Police Department – Crime Statistics
- Illinois Attorney General – Crime Victim Services
Related: How to Choose a Premises Liability Lawyer in Chicago | How to Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer in Chicago
Security Evidence Families Should Request
Request incident reports, prior crime logs, camera footage, maintenance records, and staff schedules as early as possible. These documents often prove whether a property owner ignored known risks before a violent event occurred.
This guide is part of our Hiring a Chicago Injury Lawyer section, where you can find every related guide on this site.