A Scranton negligent security lawyer helps crime victims hold property owners accountable when inadequate security allows an assault, robbery, or other violent act to happen. When you walk into an apartment building, a bar, a parking garage, or a shopping center, you expect the owner to have taken basic, reasonable steps to keep you safe. When they don’t, and you become the victim of a crime that proper security could have prevented, Pennsylvania law gives you the right to pursue compensation.
Munley Law’s Scranton premises liability lawyers have helped injury victims throughout Lackawanna County recover millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. Negligent security cases require a specific kind of investigation – one that’s focused on a property’s crime history, its security failures, and whether those failures directly led to the harm a victim suffered.
If you were a victim of a crime due to inadequate security in Scranton, contact Munley Law today for a free consultation. Our negligent security lawyers will give you an honest assessment of your case and lay out your legal options.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 What Counts as Negligent Security in Scranton?
Negligent security is a specific type of premises liability claim based on a property’s security failures rather than a physical hazard, such as a wet floor or a broken stair. 
Negligent security claims can include:
- Insufficient or poorly trained security staff at venues like the Pavilion at Montage Mountain, who should reasonably expect crowds or conflict
- Lack of security cameras in areas with a documented history of crime
- Broken locks, gates, or entrances that allow unauthorized people onto a property
- Poor lighting in parking lots, stairwells, or other low-visibility areas
- Failure to control entrances and exits at venues where screening is standard practice.
It is important to understand that simply being the victim of a crime on someone’s property does not automatically create a claim.
The property owner’s failure to provide reasonable security must be shown to have directly contributed to what happened to you. This applies most often to apartment complexes, bars and nightclubs, parking garages, shopping centers, and hotels throughout Scranton.
What Makes a Crime “Foreseeable” Enough to Hold a Property Owner Liable?
A crime is considered foreseeable when there is a history of similar criminal activity on the property or in the immediate area, putting the owner on notice that additional security measures are needed. This single concept is the legal foundation of almost every negligent security case.
Prior police reports and 911 calls to the property are some of the strongest evidence of foreseeability. If officers had previously responded to assaults, robberies, or disturbances at the same location, that history establishes that the owner knew, or reasonably should have known, of the risk.
The type of property also shapes what counts as reasonable security. A 24-hour convenience store in a high-crime part of Scranton is held to a higher security standard than a quiet, professional office building, because the risks each property faces differ. And when an owner ignores repeated tenant or customer complaints about broken locks, malfunctioning cameras, or burnt-out lighting, that pattern of inaction becomes powerful evidence in a negligent security claim.
What Has to Be Proven in a Scranton Negligent Security Case?
A negligent security claim in Scranton requires proving four specific elements, and missing any one of them can sink an otherwise strong case.
In a successful lawsuit, your Pennsylvania premises liability lawyer will prove:
- Duty: The property owner had a legal responsibility to assess the potential for criminal activity and take reasonable steps to address it.
- Breach: The owner failed to act on a known or obvious risk, such as a broken lock left unrepaired or the absence of cameras in a known trouble spot.
- Causation: The missing security measure must be shown to have directly enabled the crime, not merely to have been generally absent from the property.
- Damages: The victim suffered real, documented harm as a result of the crime.
Pennsylvania also applies a modified comparative negligence standard to these cases. As long as the victim is found to be 50% or less at fault for what happened, they can still recover compensation, though that compensation is reduced in proportion to their share of responsibility.
Where Do Negligent Security Cases Happen Most Often in Scranton?
In Scranton, negligent security claims most commonly arise at apartment complexes, bars and nightlife venues, parking garages, and retail or shopping centers. These are properties where large numbers of people pass through, and security is often underfunded relative to the risk.
- Apartment complexes: Common areas, stairwells, and parking lots are typically the landlord’s responsibility, and inadequate lighting or broken entry gates are common failure points.
- Bars and nightlife venues: Overcrowding, poorly trained or understaffed bouncers, and failure to remove troublemakers before a fight escalates.
- Parking garages and lots: Poor lighting and a lack of security cameras in areas with a documented history of robbery or assault.
- Hotels and motels: Failure to secure entrances or screen visitors in buildings designed for public access.
What Compensation Can a Negligent Security Victim Recover in Scranton?
Victims of negligent security in Scranton can recover both economic and non-economic damages tied directly to the crime they suffered and its lasting impact on their lives.
A board-certified personal injury lawyer at Munley Law will build a strong case to recover compensation for:
- Current and future medical expenses, including psychological and psychiatric care
- Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering, including emotional trauma
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Frequently Asked Questions About Scranton Negligent Security Cases
Can I Sue a Scranton Landlord If I Was Assaulted In My Apartment Building’s Parking Lot?
Yes, potentially. Landlords are generally responsible for maintaining reasonable security in common areas they control, including parking lots, stairwells, and entryways. If the parking lot had a history of crime, inadequate lighting, or broken security cameras, and that failure contributed to the assault, you may have grounds for a negligent security claim against the property owner or management company.
Can I Still Sue The Property Owner if the Person Who Attacked Me is Never Caught?
Yes. A negligent security claim is brought against the property owner for failing to provide reasonable security, not against the criminal who committed the assault. You do not need the attacker to be identified, arrested, or convicted to pursue a civil claim against the property owner whose negligence allowed the crime to occur.
How Long Do I Have To File a Negligent Security Lawsuit In Scranton?
Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for negligent security claims is generally two years from the date of the incident. However, security camera footage and other evidence at Scranton properties are often deleted or overwritten within days or weeks, so waiting even a short time can seriously weaken your case.
Can a Bar or Nightclub In Scranton Be Held Liable If a Fight Breaks Out And I’m Hurt?
Potentially, yes. If the venue had a history of fights or violent incidents, failed to staff adequate security, or allowed a known troublemaker to remain on the premises before the altercation, the property owner may share liability for any resulting injuries. Overcrowding beyond posted capacity limits can also support a negligent security claim.
What Evidence Do I Need To Prove a Scranton Property Had a History Of Crime?
Prior police reports, 911 call records, and incident reports filed with property management are the strongest evidence of a property’s crime history. An experienced negligent security attorney can request these records through the Scranton Police Department and through formal legal discovery once a claim is filed, building a clear picture of what the property owner knew and when they knew it.
Hurt Because of Inadequate Security? Munley Law Is Ready to Help
Negligent security cases are time-sensitive. Surveillance footage is erased, witnesses move on, and the evidence proving a property’s crime history becomes harder to obtain with each passing week.
Munley Law has helped injury victims throughout Lackawanna County since 1959. Three of our attorneys are board-certified in trial advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and we are one of the few firms in the country with that designation.
Contact Munley Law for a free consultation today. A Scranton negligent security lawyer is ready to review your case for free and start fighting for the compensation you need to move forward.
Robert W. Munley, III
Robert W. Munley, III is a recognized and highly accredited premises liability lawyer. Bob has served thousands of injured victims, winning millions in compensation. He has been appointed to Best Lawyers in America since 2013, and has been a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since 2011.
