Memphis Apartment Crime Lawyer

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Did you or a loved one suffer a catastrophic injury due to violent crime in Memphis, perhaps at an apartment complex and need help from a top apartment crime lawyer Memphis, TN has to offer? An armed robbery gone bad? A gunshot? A stabbing? Do you or your family have medical bills, funeral expenses, or lost time from work? Do you wonder if something should have been done to prevent the injury or death?

Innocent people become victims because they assume that all landlords and business owners are responsible people who take basic steps to prevent foreseeable violent crime. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Negligent Security | Putting Profit Before People

Did you or a loved one suffer a catastrophic injury due to violent crime in Memphis, perhaps at an apartment complex and need help from a top apartment crime lawyer Memphis, TN has to offer? An armed robbery gone bad? A gunshot? A stabbing? Do you or your family have medical bills, funeral expenses, or lost time from work? Do you wonder if something should have been done to prevent the injury or death?

Innocent people become victims because they assume that all landlords and business owners are responsible people who take basic steps to prevent foreseeable violent crime. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Apartment crime is on the rise in Memphis, TN, and when local law enforcement efforts fall short, victims may have more success in recovering their losses by hiring a lawyer. Patterson Bray represents residents in Memphis, TN who have suffered significant losses due to crime and negligence of apartment dwelling management companies and owners. To discuss your case with our apartment crime lawyer in Memphis, TN, contact us today.

How Can a Negligent Security Lawyer Help Me?

Have you recently been assaulted in an apartment building parking lot or harmed by an individual trespassing on apartment property? Did you think you were safe, but unfortunately, were misled about the level of security in your building or a building you were visiting? If so, you are encouraged to call an experienced Memphis, Tennessee apartment crime lawyer today in order to explore your legal options. Not all law firms will handle apartment crime cases, even many premise liability lawyers do not specialize in such claims. It is therefore advisable to choose a firm with many years of experience in negligent security law. The legal team at Patterson Bray has this kind of specialized experience and has a history of advocating on behalf of apartment crime victims, and we would be honored to help you navigate your legal situation as well.

What can make these cases so complicated is that a judge or jury must be able to determine what dangers, or safety hazards, could have been foreseeable, within reason, and avoided by those responsible for the security of the building in question. The way in which the law can be interpreted is considerably vague and largely dependent on the circumstances of the situation. For this reason, you should have an experienced Memphis, TN apartment crime lawyer on your side who is able to investigate the case and explore all angles.

You don’t want to have a generalized firm or a legal advocate who mostly handles estate law, for example, and dabbles in this field. Rather, you should want a lawyer who is skilled, experienced, and diligent in their ability to access outside resources, including security experts. When you work with an experienced Memphis, TN apartment crime lawyer, you can feel peace of mind in knowing your attorney has established relationships with external experts who may be able to bolster the strength of your case.

To better explain how an experienced Memphis, TN apartment crime lawyer can assist you as your case progresses, let’s use an example of a security guard at the entrance of an apartment complex. Some property owners believe that because they have a security guard in place, they have met legal requirements and would not be held responsible in the event of an attack. This is not necessarily true. Our lawyers may probe:

• • All security measures in place

• • Whether there were any security plans

• • The qualifications and training of the security guards and firm

• • The quality of security equipment being used

• Whether the security plan was managed properly

Examples of Negligence That Might Be Established

• • Insufficient training on part of the security guards

• • Poor lighting in certain areas

• • Unsecure grounds

• Lack of sufficient security patrolling the grounds

Criminal Activity in Apartment Complexes

Apartment complexes can be a magnet for criminals because they offer a number of victims within a small area, making it faster and more efficient for them to steal large quantities of possessions. These criminals are often violent, and when confronted, victims may be at high risk for serious or fatal physical assaults. Our apartment crime lawyer in Memphis, TN is familiar with all of these scenarios. In fact, common criminal activity in apartment complexes includes all of the following:

• •        Robbery or burglary. This can occur even when occupants of an apartment are home. Their possessions may be stolen from them in their presence at gunpoint, or while they and their children are asleep.

• •        Rape. This can occur before or after stealing from the occupants, and victims of this heinous crime are not limited to adult women.

• •        Homicide. If a criminal is confronted and feels threatened, they may kill the victims. However, they may kill the victims regardless.

•        Drug possession, use, purchase, and distribution. Drug addiction goes hand in hand with theft. A common downward spiral begins when a person develops an addiction for drugs then cannot keep their job owing to their addictive behavior, they lose their job, they then turn to stealing in order to pay for drugs.

Who Can a Memphis, TN Apartment Crime Lawyer Hold Liable For My Losses?

Because the thief likely has no money, which is why they are stealing, victims usually have an impossible challenge in recovering their damages from them. Even if the thief has a job and their wages are garnished, it can take many years before the victim recovers their losses. However, our Memphis, TN apartment crime lawyer can pursue damage recovery from those responsible for making sure that an apartment complex is safe. A damage claim can be filed against the apartment complex owner and/or the management company for a resident’s losses for any of the following reasons:

• •        Not notifying residents of current issues with theft.

• •        Not notifying potential new residents of current issues with theft before they decide to rent an apartment.

• •        Not providing reasonable crime deterrents such as security cameras and signage.

• •        Not installing sufficient lighting in garages, carports, walkways, common areas, or parking lots as a crime deterrent and to make it more difficult for thieves to steal undetected.

•        Not sufficiently screening potential new residents and allowing crime activity to openly take place in and around the apartment complex.

If you would like to discuss your case with an experienced apartment crime lawyer in Memphis, TN, please call our firm today. Our legal team can help you to explore your legal options so that you can make an informed decision about your situation.

Apartment Complex Crime in Memphis, TN

As an apartment crime lawyer Memphis, TN trusts, we often discover that the large out-of-town companies own and operate apartment complexes and businesses in high crime neighborhoods, and they do little to protect their residents and visitors to the properties. Why? It’s quite simple — spending money on security hurts the bottom line.

As an apartment crime lawyer Memphis, TN counts on at Patterson Bray has significant experience fighting passionately and getting civil justice for victims who have suffered catastrophic injury due to violent crime. Our commitment to fighting crime is second to none. Please visit the NCVBA website for informational booklets and other material.

An apartment crime lawyer Memphis, TN relies on at Patterson Bray can imagine how terrifying it is for crime to occur in your home. Your place of residence is supposed to be a safe haven in which you can retreat to and unwind after a long day. Unfortunately, there are individuals out there who participate in a life of crime, and break into people’s houses or apartments in hopes of stealing or committing some other violation of law. If this has happened to you or a loved one recently and damages or injuries were sustained, then we strongly advise getting legal help right away from a member of our dedicated legal team.

Being unexpectedly harmed inside an apartment or on the premises can be devastating, which is why you may want to seek legal advice from our firm. Patterson Bray has been practicing law for decades and understands the complex laws encompassing these specific cases. Guided by our knowledge and passionate drive to protect the rights of our clients, we have successfully recovered millions of dollars in damages for our clients.

Who Is Responsible for Apartment Crime

Landlords have a duty to see that the property is safe for the tenants and any guests that visit. When a person signs a rental contract, that tenant understandably assumes that property security and safety measures have been established. However, if a landlord or company housing complex doesn’t install proper locks, lighting, or other safety methods, then the tenants and guests are vulnerable to experiencing crime against them. 

Types of Crimes Committed

When a criminal enters a home, there are several potential motivations for such behavior. Perhaps they want to steal, harm someone they know or a stranger, kidnap, commit sexual assault, or something else. In most situations of a criminal breaking into a home, the victim ends up suffering from some degree to physical injury, mental trauma, and financial loss.

If this crime occurs due to a landlord’s failure to maintain sufficient security, the victim may be eligible to pursue compensation with help from a TN apartment crime lawyer in Memphis. A member of our legal team can meet with you to review your case, and offer advice on how to proceed. By taking action, you can hold the landlord or complex responsible for their oversights, while ensuring that a situation like that hopefully won’t happen in the future to other tenants. 

Common Injuries for Apartment Crime

We understand that victims of apartment or other home crime may have survived with very painful and lasting injuries. The victim may have cuts, scrapes, broken bones, bruising, STDs, internal bleeding, anxiety, sleeplessness, and other emotional wounds due to the trauma.

We advise seeing a doctor the same day that the break-in occurred, so that you can document your injuries. Ask for copies of test results, diagnostics, medication, and treatment plans to share with a member of our legal team. This can help us calculate how much to sue your landlord or the building company for as you seek justice and restitution for the damage done.

What Constitutes As an Apartment Crime

Apartment complexes may have hundreds, or even thousands, of residents. Many of these residents live on the premises for a short time, which leads to a frequent coming and going of tenants. Crime may be an element of these complexes. Often, as an attempt to protect the reputation of the apartment complex, the number of incidents and types of criminal acs are hidden from residents. Examples of common crimes include:

• Automobile break ins
• Burglaries or robberies (including armed)
• Petty theft of plants, lawn mowers, bikes, and other miscellaneous items
• Violent crimes (i.e. assault, rape, and murder)

One of the aforementioned acts, coupled with a lack of security, could be grounds for a legal claim. To find out more, please speak with an apartment crime lawyer in Memphis for sound advice.

Understanding Apartment Crimes and Negligent Security
Apartment crimes can happen at any time and may include all sorts of malicious or violent behavior. Often, these crimes fall into negligent security litigation (with premises liability litigation following suit). Because this area of expertise in considerably intricate, it’s advisable to retain help from our team, who knows how to effectively navigate it.

Criminal assault, robbery, rape, and attacks can be the result of inadequate security on the apartment premises. When such incidents happen, it may be possible to bring legal action against the owner, manager, and/or occupier of the apartment and its premises. This may be especially true when there is an obvious failure to provide reasonable security measures in areas that are known to be criminally active.

Even if you’re unsure about filing a claim, you can speak with us during a complimentary consultation. You will have the opportunity to discuss your claim in further detail and discover what the next steps are to be taken.

Potential Monetary Compensation
If an apartment crime lawyer in TN at Patterson Bray believes you have a claim, an investigation may begin. This will help to establish a sound legal defense on behalf of you and your loved ones. Included in the claim may be a numerical value to act as monetary compensation for losses such as:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Damaged property
• Emotional and physical suffering
• Wrongful death
• Punitive damages *when applicable

Recovering Your Losses

Apartment crime is on the rise and when local law enforcement efforts fall short, victims may have more success in recovering their losses by hiring a lawyer. Patterson Bray represents residents in the Tennessee area who have suffered significant losses due to crime and negligence of apartment dwelling management companies and owners. To discuss your case with a member of our team, contact us today.

Criminal Activity in Apartment Complexes

Apartment complexes can be a magnet for criminals because they offer a number of victims within a small area, making it faster and more efficient for them to steal large quantities of possessions. These criminals are often violent, and when confronted, victims may be at high risk for serious or fatal physical assaults. Our Memphis, TN apartment crime lawyer is familiar with all of these scenarios. In fact, common criminal activity in apartment complexes includes all of the following:

• Robbery or burglary. This can occur even when occupants of an apartment are home. Their possessions may be stolen from them in their presence at gunpoint, or while they and their children are asleep.
• Rape. This can occur before or after stealing from the occupants, and victims of this heinous crime are not limited to adult women.
• Homicide. If a criminal is confronted and feels threatened, they may kill the victims. However, they may kill the victims regardless.
• Drug possession, use, purchase, and distribution. Drug addiction goes hand in hand with theft. A common downward spiral begins when a person develops an addiction for drugs then cannot keep their job owing to their addictive behavior, they lose their job, they then turn to stealing in order to pay for drugs.

Who Can Be Held Liable

Because the thief likely has no money, which is why they are stealing, victims usually have an impossible challenge in recovering their damages from them. Even if the thief has a job and their wages are garnished, it can take many years before the victim recovers their losses. However, our team can pursue damage recovery from those responsible for making sure that an apartment complex is safe.

A damage claim can be filed against the apartment complex owner and/or the management company for a resident’s losses for any of the following reasons:

• Not notifying residents of current issues with theft.
• Not notifying potential new residents of current issues with theft before they decide to rent an apartment.
• Not providing reasonable crime deterrents such as security cameras and signage.
• Not installing sufficient lighting in garages, carports, walkways, common areas, or parking lots as a crime deterrent and to make it more difficult for thieves to steal undetected.
• Not sufficiently screening potential new residents and allowing crime activity to openly take place in and around the apartment complex.

Contact Us For a Free Consultation

As a victim of an apartment crime, you can take action. You may be feeling helpless and that your home is no longer safe. If your landlord or facility is at least partially responsible, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

At Patterson Bray our apartment crime lawyers can aggressively and intelligently represent you and your loved ones. Most of our cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, which means you will not have to worry about any upfront fees. To speak with an apartment crime lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee please call 901.372.5003.