Maison Law represents the victims of those hurt due to the negligent security provided around California parks and other public places. Our negligent security lawyers help the victims of criminal acts earn the support they need to make a full recovery. Please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your injury and terrifying ordeal should be worth and how to hold park owners and operators fully responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer After an Attack in a Park?
If you are assaulted in a public place and suffer a serious injury, it’s a good indication that you might need the help of a skilled California negligent security lawyer. If the owners and operators of that park, perhaps a city parks and rec department could have done more to keep you safe, the city or a property owner should be providing you with support during recovery.
Unfortunately, government entities and business owners can afford teams of lawyers to work to get them out off the hook for an attack. You’ll want a skilled lawyer from Maison Law who fully investigates what happened, gathers strong evidence, and then demands what’s fair from a negligent party.
Security Dangers in California Parks
California has some of the most beautiful city and state parks in the country. They are spots where people can enjoy a picnic, get some exercise, or play with the kids. Unfortunately, not everyone at the park is there to enjoy the outdoors. Some people lurk around parks to prey on visitors.
A simple robbery in a dark parking lot can easily turn violent, leaving victims suffering from a gunshot or stab wound. Someone may be punched, kicked, or hit with a baseball bat because a criminal took advantage of a lack of security at a park.
These may seem like random acts, but in many cases, the danger might have been prevented if the owners and operators of a park took action to create safer conditions. The operators of many parks are government departments and those agencies owe all visitors a “duty of care.” It means that a parks and rec department must ensure visitors are warned of potential risk of attack and are protected as much as possible from harm.
When city officials neglect this legal duty, they can be held fully responsible for the recovery costs the victim of a crime endures. They may have to provide support to families who lose a loved one in a park after a vicious attack.
Who Is Liable for My Attack at a City Park?
The obligation to keep people safe from crime falls under premises liability laws. These laws hold the owners of the park and those who operate events and activities at the park liable if someone is hurt due to a lack of overall security that’s been provided.
In the case of a park operated by the city, it could be a local city government that should be responsible for supporting victims after an assault. A criminal act at a state park would leave the State of California liable for injuries and a victim’s emotional trauma. An attack at a national park, a national forest, or a national monument could make a federal agency vulnerable to a lawsuit.
If a park is owned by a private owner or a business, the owners may be responsible for a lack of security for guests. An organization holding an event at a park could also be responsible for any harm done to event participants. A lapse in safety could leave a security company liable.
Your Maison Law personal injury lawyer would help you prove this negligence and then demand the most possible to help you pay your recovery bills and rebuild your life.
These and other acts of negligence could be used to prove that a governmental department or a property owner is liable for a criminal attack:
- A lack of security guards, or police officers.
- Insufficient training for security personnel.
- Malfunctioning security cameras.
- Broken fences and other security barriers that could have kept those with criminal intentions out.
- Not enough lighting in parking lots, along sidewalks, and around buildings, such as public bathrooms.
- Failure to warn visitors of previous criminal attacks in the area.
- A lack of safety devices to allow victims to call for help.
- Exposing visitors to park staff with violent histories. Failure to do proper background checks.
Suing the City After an Assault at a Park
Your lawyer helps you collect evidence to build a strong case against the owners and operators of a park. They invited you in and then failed to properly protect your safety while you were at the park. Those entities should never be allowed to let you face the consequences of an attack alone.
Your injury claim can be filed as soon as your case is ready. You would not have to wait for a criminal suspect to be caught or delay while awaiting a criminal trial. You can file a claim, even if no suspect is found and arrested. Your injury claim is a civil case that is decided separately.
Your lawyer would make sure a settlement offer covered all of your hardships during recovery. If an offer fell short, it would be rejected and your lawyer would demand more. If an insurance company refused to provide the support you needed, your lawyer would be ready to file a lawsuit to take city officials and an insurance company before a judge and jury.
Cases against a city or state governmental department will be complex. A skilled lawyer’s help may be necessary to make sure you and your family don’t forfeit certain benefits. Government agencies hide behind certain legal protections in personal injury cases. The law often requires victims to file a case with the city to seek permission simply to be able to sue a city department.
The statute of limitations may also be much shorter when going after a city department for its negligence. A normal case against a business owner would carry a two-year limit on filing a claim. A claim filed against a municipality like the City of Los Angeles or Fresno might allow only months to file. Your lawyer is your safeguard to make sure you meet every deadline and earn the support you need to fully recover.
What Type of Support Can I Earn in a Lawsuit After an Assault at a Park?
Your lawyer seeks everything you would need to pay your current hospital bills and any medical costs expected in the future. Your lawyer seeks reimbursement for the paychecks you’ve had to forfeit while unable to work. The physical pain and emotional trauma you’d endured should also factor into a negligent security settlement check. Many other factors would contribute to the size of your check.
A lawyer can also help you and your family file a wrongful death claim if you lose a loved one in a tragic attack. Your family would seek support for funeral costs and in paying any leftover hospital bills. Your Maison Law attorney also demands support for the guidance and income the deceased can’t provide the family in the future.
Contact a California Negligent Security Lawyer
In the aftermath of a criminal act at a local park, contact Maison Law to stay informed of your rights after such a traumatic incident. We offer a free case consultation to all victims and their families.
It’s a no-risk way to find out how to hold a city parks department or a property owner responsible for negligent security that leads to an attack.
There’s no obligation for this free case review, but if you decide we can help you hold the city or state responsible for what happened, you won’t need any upfront money. We work on a contingency basis. It means we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check a liability insurance company provides to you and your family.
