Injured Due to Negligent Security in Maryland or D.C.? Know Your Rights

When you're assaulted, robbed, or otherwise harmed by a criminal act on someone else's property, it's natural to think only the criminal is responsible. But in many cases, the property owner may share in the blame - if inadequate lighting, broken locks, missing cameras, or absent security personnel made the crime possible.

At Falodun Law, we represent victims of violent crime in Maryland and Washington, D.C. who were harmed because a property owner failed to provide reasonably safe conditions. These cases are legally complex, but they can provide crucial compensation for medical bills, trauma, and lost income when the criminal responsible cannot pay.

What Is a Negligent Security Claim?

A negligent security claim is a type of premises liability case handled by a Premises Liability Lawyer in Maryland or Washington, D.C. It arises when a property owner or manager fails to take reasonable steps to protect visitors from foreseeable criminal acts, and that failure results in injury. Negligent security claims commonly arise at: 

• Apartment complexes and rental properties

• Hotels and motels

• Parking garages and parking lots

• Bars, nightclubs, and restaurants

•  Shopping centers and retail stores

• Gas stations and convenience stores

• College campuses and student housing

  
  

Common Security Failures That Lead to Claims

Many negligent security cases involve the same preventable hazards. When apartment complexes, shopping centers, hotels, or other property owners fail to address these issues, visitors and residents can be placed at unnecessary risk due to inadequate security. 

• Broken or missing locks on doors, gates, and windows

•  Inadequate lighting in parking lots, stairwells, and walkways

• Non-functioning or absent security cameras

• Lack of security guards in high-crime areas or during high-risk hours

• Broken gates or fences meant to restrict access

• Failure to respond to prior reported crimes or complaints

• Unscreened or poorly trained security personnel

  
  

Proving a Negligent Security Case

Negligent security claims hinge on the concept of foreseeability. To succeed, you generally need to show:

• The property owner knew or should have known that criminal activity was likely, often based on prior incidents on or near the property

• The owner failed to take reasonable security measures in response to that known risk

• That failure made the criminal act possible or more likely

• You were injured as a result

  
  

Evidence of prior crimes at or near the property, police reports, prior lawsuits, online reviews, or news coverage, is often central to proving foreseeability. This is why moving quickly to gather evidence, before it disappears, matters enormously.

How Maryland and D.C. Law Applies

Contributory Negligence

Maryland and Washington, D.C. both follow the contributory negligence rule, one of the strictest fault standards in the country. If a property owner's insurer can show you were even 1% at fault for example, by arguing you ignored a posted warning, you could be barred from recovering anything at all. Property owners and their insurers frequently use this rule aggressively in negligent security cases, making experienced legal representation essential.

Duty of Care

In Maryland, the duty a property owner owes depends on your legal status on the property, invitee, licensee, or trespasser - with business invitees generally owed the highest duty of care. Washington, D.C. applies a more unified reasonable care standard for lawful visitors. This same duty of care extends to vulnerable populations, including residents at facilities covered under nursing home negligence claims, where unscreened staff or unsecured entrances can expose residents to harm. In both jurisdictions, commercial property owners who invite the public onto their premises for business purposes carry a significant responsibility to guard against foreseeable harm.

Statute of Limitations

In Maryland, you generally have three years from the date of the incident to file a personal injury lawsuit (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §5-101). Washington, D.C. also applies a three-year statute of limitations (D.C. Code §12-301).

Important exception: If the property involved is government-owned, such as public housing, a government building, or a transit facility, a much shorter notice deadline applies. Maryland's Local Government Tort Claims Act (LGTCA) requires notice within 180 days of the incident. In D.C., notice must be filed within six months under D.C. Code §12-309. These are exactly the kind of hidden deadlines that can destroy a Maryland injury claim - missing them can permanently bar your claim, so it's critical to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

Steps to Take After a Negligent Security Incident

1. Prioritize Your Safety and Medical Care

Get to safety and seek medical treatment immediately, even for injuries that seem minor. Documented treatment ties your injuries directly to the incident.

2. Report the Crime to Police

A police report creates an official record and may help establish a pattern of criminal activity at the location.

3. Document the Property's Security Conditions

If you're able, photograph broken locks, non-working lights, missing cameras, or other conditions that may have contributed to the incident.

4. Preserve Evidence Quickly

Security footage is often overwritten within days. Contact Falodun Law right away so we can send preservation letters and begin investigating before critical evidence is lost.

5. Avoid Giving Statements to the Property's Insurer

Insurance adjusters for the property owner may contact you quickly. You are not required to give a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

• Medical expenses, including emergency care and future treatment

• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity

• Pain and suffering

• Emotional distress, anxiety, and PTSD

• Permanent disability, scarring, or disfigurement

•  Wrongful death damages in fatal cases

  
  

How Falodun Law Can Help

Negligent security cases require building a clear picture of what the property owner knew, what they failed to do, and how that failure led to your injuries. At Falodun Law, we investigate the property's crime history, secure surveillance footage before it's lost, and hold negligent owners accountable.

We handle negligent security cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Contact Falodun Law Today - Free Consultation

At Falodun Law, our personal injury lawyers in Maryland represent victims injured because of negligent security, unsafe premises, and other preventable hazards throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C.  If you've been hurt because of inadequate security and want to understand your rights, we're here to help, with no cost to you unless we win.

Phone: (301) 289-7737

Email: wole@falodunlaw.com

Address: 8850 Stanford Blvd., Ste. 2900, Columbia, Maryland 21045

Don't wait - deadlines in personal injury law are strict and unforgiving. Reach out to Falodun Law today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue a property owner if I was attacked by a criminal on their property?

Yes, if the property owner knew or should have known that criminal activity was likely and failed to take reasonable security measures, such as fixing broken locks, adding lighting, or providing security personnel, you may have a negligent security claim against them, in addition to any case against the criminal directly.

What if the police never caught the person who attacked me?

You can still pursue a negligent security claim even if the attacker is never identified or caught. Your claim is against the property owner for failing to provide reasonably safe conditions, not against the criminal. The same legal principles apply when victims are injured by a bouncer or store security. 

How do I prove the property owner knew about the risk of crime?

Foreseeability is often established through evidence of prior crimes at or near the property, police call logs, prior lawsuits, online reviews mentioning safety concerns, and news coverage. An attorney can help gather and present this evidence to show the owner knew, or should have known, about the danger.

How long do I have to file a negligent security claim in Maryland or D.C.?

Generally, you have three years from the date of the incident in both Maryland (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §5-101) and Washington, D.C. (D.C. Code §12-301). But if the property is government-owned, notice deadlines can be as short as 180 days in Maryland or six months in D.C., so it's important to act quickly.

Do I have to speak with the property owner's insurance company after an attack?

No. Insurance adjusters for the property owner may contact you quickly and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to provide one before speaking with an attorney, and doing so without legal guidance can hurt your claim.