San Diego Negligent Security Attorneys

When you are assaulted, robbed, or attacked on someone else’s property, the harm is not only physical. You trusted that the apartment complex, parking garage, bar, or business would take reasonable steps to keep you safe, and that trust was broken. In many cases, the property owner’s failure to provide adequate security is a large part of why the attack happened.

At Banker’s Hill Law Firm, our San Diego negligent security attorney team represents victims of violent crime who were harmed because a property owner ignored a foreseeable danger. As experienced premises liability and personal injury attorneys, we investigate the property’s history, identify the security failures, and hold owners accountable for the harm their negligence allowed.

Contact our office today for a free case evaluation. There are no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we win your case.

Proven Track Record

Our Premises Liability Results

When negligent property owners put people at risk, we hold them accountable. We’ve recovered millions for injured clients across San Diego and Southern California.

$1,000,000+

Settlement

Multiple seven-figure recoveries for seriously injured clients

$663,000

Settlement

Slip and fall; client recovered full compensation for injuries sustained

$557,000

Settlement

Client sustained serious injuries; full recovery obtained after litigation

Additional Results

$330,000 Client recovered full policy limits following a personal injury claim

$215,000 Personal injury matter resulting in significant injuries

$136,000 Injury resulting in documented physical harm

$129,650 Medical expenses and lost wages recovered

$100,000 Policy limits recovered for injured client

$742,000 Serious injury matter; full recovery obtained

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is unique and depends on its individual circumstances. Results may vary based on the specific facts of your case.

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How Negligent Security Cases Work in California

California property owners have a legal duty to use reasonable care to keep their premises safe under California Civil Code Section 1714. In a negligent security case, the central question is foreseeability: whether the owner knew or should have known that a criminal attack was likely and failed to take reasonable precautions. California courts weigh how foreseeable the harm was against how burdensome the missing security measure would have been. As the California Supreme Court explained in cases such as Ann M. v. Pacific Plaza Shopping Center and Delgado v. Trax Bar & Grill, a costly measure like hiring security guards generally requires a heightened showing of foreseeability, often established by prior similar crimes on or near the property. A negligent security lawyer builds that foreseeability case with the evidence.

Common Security Failures Behind These Attacks

Negligent security claims often arise from preventable lapses, including:

Inadequate or broken lighting in parking lots, stairwells, and walkways
Missing, undertrained, or too few security guards
Broken locks, gates, or access controls
Malfunctioning or absent security cameras
Failure to respond to prior crimes, threats, or complaints
Overgrown landscaping that conceals attackers

These failures matter most where the property already had a known history of crime and the owner did nothing to address it.

Who Can Be Held Liable

A negligent security claim holds the property owner or operator responsible for the criminal act of a third party when their negligence helped make it possible. Depending on the location, liable parties may include apartment complexes and landlords, hotels and motels, bars and nightclubs, shopping centers and parking structures, office buildings, and event venues. The person who committed the assault may also face criminal charges, but a civil claim against the property owner is often the most meaningful path to compensation.

How Our San Diego Negligent Security Attorneys Handle Your Case

Attorney reviewing case documents with a client in a law office

Free Case Evaluation

We begin with a no-cost, confidential consultation to review the facts of your case. You speak directly with an attorney, with no obligations and no upfront fees.

Investigation and Evidence Collection

Our team collects accident reports, medical records, photographs, surveillance footage, expert opinions, and witness statements to construct a comprehensive and compelling case.

Medical Documentation and Damage Calculation

We work closely with your treating physicians to document all current and future treatment needs and calculate every element of your economic and non-economic damages.

Negotiation with Insurance Companies

We negotiate aggressively with insurers on your behalf. We know their tactics and will not accept an inadequate settlement offer.

Trial Representation, If Necessary

If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we are fully prepared to litigate your case at trial and advocate for you before a judge and jury.

What Compensation Can You Seek?

A successful claim can pursue both economic and non-economic damages, and the emotional harm from a violent attack is often central to the case.

Economic Damages

Past and future medical bills, including hospitalization, surgery, and ongoing treatment
Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
Rehabilitation and physical therapy
Counseling and mental health treatment
Out-of-pocket costs related to the injury

Non-Economic Damages

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress
Loss of enjoyment and diminished quality of life
Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or disability
Loss of companionship or consortium

In California, the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is generally two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. If a public entity is involved, such as a city or county property, you generally must file a government claim within six months, so it is best to speak with an attorney promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions: Negligent Security Claims

Yes. When a property owner’s failure to provide reasonable security made a foreseeable criminal attack possible, the owner can be held liable even though a third party committed the crime. The claim focuses on the owner’s negligence, not just the attacker’s actions.

It depends on the property and its history. Broken lighting, missing or too few guards, non-working cameras, broken locks or gates, and ignoring prior crimes and complaints can all show inadequate security, especially where similar attacks had happened before.

Often, yes. A negligent security claim is brought against the property owner, not the attacker, so you can pursue compensation even if the person who harmed you is never identified or arrested.

Generally two years from the date of the attack, though a six-month deadline can apply if a public entity is involved. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights.

We work on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs, and you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Contact Our San Diego Negligent Security Attorneys Today

Smiling client shaking hands with a member of the legal team

If you were attacked because a property owner failed to keep you safe, you deserve a firm that will investigate what went wrong and hold that owner accountable. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can preserve security footage and other evidence before it disappears.

At Banker’s Hill Law Firm, we provide determined, compassionate representation to injured people and their families throughout San Diego and Southern California. Call us today at (619) 230-0330 or contact our office online to schedule your confidential, no-cost case evaluation.