The safety and privacy of hotel , motel, resort and cruise ship guests should be the top priority for the owners and operators. Many times this is simply not the case. Often, these places are actually full of poorly lit corridors, tunnels, nooks, crannies and other areas where crimes are easily committed. Lack of security in hotels, motels, apartment houses and on cruise ships and restaurants is a big issue for tourism and also an issue that we do not often hear much about. Usually, when we hear about it, an easily avoidable tragedy has occurred. Hotel/motel owners, apartment owners, cruise ship operators and restaurant operators must be oriented toward the security of their guests and they must insure that their security equipment is installed, maintained and regularly used and serviced and that their employees and security guards have their employment and criminal backgrounds properly checked. Technology is an important part of meeting today's security requirements. Surprisingly, a survey conducted of hotel managers by the Hotel Administration have revealed that most hotels made no changes to safety and security staffing or procedures in the year following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Many times, horrific injuries and incidents occur at hotels, motels, resorts and restaurants or apartment complexes due to poor lighting, inadequate security, and the lack of easily affordable technology and security devices such as close circuit cameras. Because of inadequate security, many unsuspecting guests are robbed, shot, killed, raped, stabbed or assaulted in hotels, motels, shopping malls and parking lots, office buildings, restaurants, condos and/or ships. Safety and privacy of hotel and resort guests is a top priority and the owners and operators obligation to make sure that you are safe when you check into your home away from home.

Since 1979 the experienced inadequate security lawyers of the Pennsylvania personal injury law firm of Reiff and Bily have aggressively represented clients who have been injured on other's premises, including hotels, motels, inns, apartment homes, shopping malls, casinos and cruise ships. We have been able to successfully prove that a breakdown in the property owner's security system can not only encourage criminal activity, but can also result in the property owner's liability to the crime victim for negligence. Our experienced attorneys and investigators carefully analyze the circumstances of the personal injury and personal offense and work with law enforcement and investigators and perform our own investigation to determine whether or not an inadequate security concern led to the criminal offense. We also examine past incidences of victim abuse at the location and surrounding areas that should have put the property owner on actual or constructive notice that the facility was potentially dangerous to customers and visitors.

If a commercial property owner is aware of a crime in the immediate or surrounding area, they have an obligation to take steps to secure their premises such as hiring highly qualified security guards, as well as implementing safety procedures to ensure the safety of their customers. Security guards should be subjected to a careful background check and follow a mandated security protocol to ensure a visitor's safety in a commercial or residential building. Many times you find that the security forces are negligent in the performance of their duties and tasks and this results in serious crimes being perpetrated under their watch. As a result, the property owner is legally responsible for any harm suffered by the unsuspecting visitor or patrons. Many times an investigation will reveal that a breach of security was easily preventable and therefore, the owner of the property is civilly liable to the injured party for monetary damages.

At the Pennsylvania inadequate security law firm of Reiff and Bily, we are experienced in handling negligent security cases on behalf of victims of physical assault or robbery. If you have suffered a physical injury or robbery because of negligent security, we will begin an immediate investigation into your case to preserve evidence and properly prepare your case. If you would like a free consultation, please feel free to contact us to discuss your rights at 1-800-421-9595 or contact us online.

Protecting the rights of injured consumers since 1979