Negligent Security

Negligent Security Lawyer in Maryland

Representing Maryland Victims of Inadequate Security Since 1988

When a property owner’s failure to maintain reasonable security allows a crime to happen, the law may hold them responsible for the resulting harm. Maryland premises liability law recognizes that landlords, retailers, and other property owners can be liable when inadequate security makes a foreseeable assault, robbery, or shooting possible. Wilson & Parlett represents victims of these incidents as part of our personal injury practice.

If you or a family member were injured because of inadequate security on someone else’s property, contact our attorneys today for a free case evaluation. Call (301) 231-1737 to speak with our team.

Why Maryland Victims Choose Wilson & Parlett

We’ve handled personal injury claims in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. since 1988, and our attorneys bring over 85 years of combined legal experience to every case. Negligent security claims turn on foreseeability: You have to prove the property owner knew or should have known a crime was possible. That argument lands differently when the attorneys presenting it have long-standing relationships with local defense counsel, judges, and juries.

We offer legal services in both English and Spanish, and clients work with a dedicated point of contact who keeps them informed from intake through resolution. No one gets lost in a large-firm system here.

Where Negligent Security Incidents Happen

These claims arise across a wide range of property types. Property owners generally owe the highest duty of security to business invitees such as paying customers and guests, but tenants and visitors also have legal protections.

Common locations include:

Apartment and condominium common areas where broken locks, poor lighting, or absent cameras create unaddressed risk
Parking lots and garages where inadequate lighting or non-functioning security equipment leaves people exposed
Shopping centers and retail stores with known patterns of crime and insufficient security personnel
Hotels and motels that fail to secure entry points or respond to reported threats
Bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues where inadequate staffing or crowd management contributes to violence

Compensation in a Maryland Negligent Security Case

Victims have the right to pursue compensation for the full range of harm a crime causes. Depending on the facts of your case, recoverable damages can include medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering. When a negligent security incident results in a death, surviving family members may be able to pursue wrongful death damages under Maryland law.

What you can recover depends on your specific circumstances. When you call, we’ll give you an honest assessment of what your claim may be worth.

Start with a Free Consultation

We handle all negligent security cases on a contingency basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Call (301) 231-1737 or use the contact form on this site to reach Wilson & Parlett. We can review the facts, explain your options, and tell you honestly what we think your case may be worth.

Maryland’s Legal Standard for Negligent Security Claims

Maryland law doesn’t automatically hold property owners responsible when a visitor is harmed by a third party’s criminal act. Liability depends on foreseeability. In Scott v. Watson (1976), the Maryland Court of Appeals established that a landlord who knows or should know of prior criminal activity on the premises has a duty to take reasonable measures to address the conditions that contributed to it. That duty of care is the foundation of every negligent security claim.

Foreseeability in Maryland is generally based on what happened at that specific property, not in the surrounding neighborhood. Prior police reports, incident logs, and management records documenting complaints are therefore critical evidence. Maryland also follows a strict contributory negligence rule: If a defendant can show you were even minimally at fault for your own injury, your recovery could be barred entirely. Property owners and their insurers routinely raise this defense, which is one reason having experienced litigation counsel matters.

What You Must Prove & What Evidence Supports It

A negligent security claim requires proving three things: the property owner owed you a duty of care, they breached that duty by failing to provide reasonable security, and that breach caused your injury. The breach element often focuses on specific, correctable failures the owner ignored.

Security failures that frequently support these claims include:

Inadequate or broken lighting in parking areas and stairwells
Non-functioning or absent security cameras
Broken locks, gates, or access controls
Absent security personnel in settings where the risk level warranted them

Building this case typically requires prior incident reports or police logs from the property, maintenance records showing known but unresolved deficiencies, and witness statements. The stronger the documented history of criminal activity at the property, the stronger the foreseeability argument.

Filing Deadline for Maryland Negligent Security Claims

Most personal injury claims in Maryland, including negligent security claims, must be filed within three years from the date of injury under Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101. Missing that deadline generally can end your ability to recover anything, regardless of how strong the underlying claim is.

Certain circumstances can affect that timeline. Claims involving minors or injuries whose connection to negligent security wasn’t immediately apparent may be subject to different rules. If you’re unsure where you stand, speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

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