The Legal Chronicle
Hotels and apartments are frequently targets for criminal activity. Guests and tenants have little control over, or knowledge of, those entering and exiting the property, making it difficult to identify a person who does not belong. This is particularly dangerous in isolated common areas, such as a parking lots, laundry rooms, and swimming pools. Hotel and apartment complex grounds are frequently landscaped with trees and bushes, providing ample hiding spaces for criminals, especially at night.
Hotel and apartment owners have a responsibility to deter such crime and protect guests from foreseeable harm. Proactive security measures, such as guarded entry, fencing, bright lighting, surveillance cameras, and access-controlled common areas, help to reduce risk of violence.
Local law enforcement often provides crime prevention training programs for apartment and hotel owners, managers and security staff. The Reno Police Department describes their Crime Free Multi-Housing & Hotel initiative as “a state-of-the-art crime prevention program designed to reduce crime upon properties. This program was successfully founded by Tim Zhering of the Mesa Arizona Police Department in 1992. The program has spread to nearly 2,000 cities in 48 U.S. States, 5 Canadian Provinces, England, Nigeria, and Puerto Rico.”
Property owners and managers are encouraged to implement security precautions and training programs, such as the one described above, to protect guests and deter crime.
Guest Rights and Property Owner Responsibility
Hotel guests and apartment tenants have a right to be safe and secure while on property. By law, hotel and apartment owners have a duty to protect those legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. Should a property owner or manager fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or deaths which occur as a consequence.
We’ve Recovered Millions for Victims of Hotel and Apartment Security Negligence…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.
The Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims of violence and security negligence. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we recently obtained a $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property. We offer our legal assistance, if desired.
We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.
Choosing the Right Attorney
Selecting the right attorney for you or your family is highly important. You must feel confident that the attorney you hire has a complete understanding of the law applicable to your particular case, and has successful experience in handling such cases.
Important: Do not hire a lawyer who has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct!!!
You should not hire an attorney who calls you or visits you unsolicited, or anyone that contacts you directly to offer legal services. This activity is strictly prohibited by Rule 7.3 of the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which states as follows:
A LAWYER “SHALL NOT” CONTACT A PROSPECTIVE CLIENT THROUGH A “LIVE TELEPHONE” OR AN “IN-PERSON” VISIT.
– RULE 7.3, ABA MODEL RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT.
If an attorney, or someone acting on behalf of an attorney, contacts you in this manner, that attorney is in violation of this Rule. This unethical and unprofessional activity on the part of the lawyer is good sign that you should stay away. It is imperative that you are represented by an attorney who is capable of advocating for you within the confines of the law, and an attorney who fails to abide by the Rules of Professional Conduct is probably not the best fit. In fact, any such attorney should be immediately reported to the local State Bar Association. If you have been contacted in such an unsolicited manner, contact us and we’ll assist you in filing a report.
Contingency Fees Disclaimer: “Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.”
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