Negligent security lawyer in Los Angeles: Former Insurance Defense Attorneys
An attack may raise questions about broken entry controls or earlier warnings to a property operator. We investigate those questions without assuming that a business guarantees everyone's safety.
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At a Glance
- What it is: a negligent security claim asks whether a property operator's failure to take reasonable precautions contributed to an attack or injury.
- Where we help: we assess incidents at Los Angeles apartment complexes, businesses, hotels, bars and parking garages.
- Why us: David Lederer and John Nojima bring former insurance defense experience to disputes over foreseeability, property control and causation.
- Proof: the firm's Google profile has a 4.5-star rating from 41 reviews, and its separate case results do not guarantee future outcomes.
- Next step: call (310) 312-1860 for a free consultation about the incident, evidence and potential civil claim.
Quick Answer
A negligent security claim requires more than showing that an attack happened on someone else's property. Counsel must assess the operator's duty, foreseeable risk, reasonable precautions and the connection between an alleged security failure and your injury. Prior incidents or ignored repair requests may matter. The facts must support both what the defendant should have done and how that step would have affected the incident.
Negligent security lawyer in Los Angeles from Lederer & Nojima is for tenants, guests and customers who suffered injuries after an attack at a property with unsafe security and want to investigate accountability, so you can explore a civil recovery while addressing your safety and medical needs.
A broken entrance lock and an absent security guard present different legal questions. The operator's knowledge of earlier incidents may affect what precautions reasonable care required. We review police call history, tenant complaints and security practices in the context of the location. The presence of a camera does not establish adequate security, and the absence of one does not establish negligence by itself.
David Lederer and John Nojima used to defend insurance companies. That background informs how they evaluate an insurer's claim that an attack was unforeseeable or that the victim alone caused the loss. We investigate what the operator knew before the incident, rather than relying on explanations prepared after it.
We also identify who controlled the relevant security function. A property owner, management business or security company may have separate duties. The person who committed the assault remains responsible for that conduct, but a civil claim against a property defendant requires its own proof. An insurer's involvement does not, on its own, make the insurer responsible for the unsafe condition.
Former Insurance Defense
David Lederer and John Nojima used to defend insurers. Now they use that knowledge to pressure carriers that try to delay, discount, or deny injury claims.
No Fee Unless We Win
You pay no upfront attorney fee. Our attorney fee comes from the recovery. If we do not recover, there is no attorney fee, and the written agreement explains how case costs are handled.
Free Consultation 24/7
Call any time after an injury. We can protect evidence, deal with insurers, and explain your next move before deadlines pass.
When can inadequate property security support an injury claim?
Warnings before the attack
Earlier assaults, complaints about intruders or repeated calls for help may affect foreseeability. We examine the nature and location of prior incidents rather than treating all neighborhood crime as equivalent. Records must connect the known risk to the precautions at issue.
Access and lighting failures
Broken locks, dark stairwells and unsecured entry points can matter when they contributed to the incident. We seek repair requests and inspection records to determine who knew about the condition. A photograph of a broken lock after an attack does not establish when it broke.
Video and incident records
Property cameras may capture access points or events leading up to the injury. We request preservation of relevant footage, incident logs and witness information. Retention practices differ, so an early request should identify locations and time periods instead of assuming the operator kept everything.
Medical harm and daily consequences
Emergency treatment may be the first part of a longer recovery. We document follow-up care, lost income and supported future needs. A factual account can also explain pain and emotional distress without requiring you to adopt the adjuster's assumptions about how an injured person should react.
What does California law require in a negligent security case?
California premises liability principles require reasonable care in light of the circumstances. A negligent security case examines foreseeability and the burden of the proposed precaution, along with causation and damages. The level of risk that supports repairing a broken lock may differ from what supports a demand for guards. We evaluate the specific security measure and evidence rather than promising that a prior incident establishes liability.
Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 generally sets a two-year period for personal injury lawsuits. A public entity claim may require administrative claim presentation within six months under Government Code section 911.2, before a lawsuit and its separate deadlines. Exceptions can apply. California comparative fault may reduce compensation when the evidence establishes shared responsibility, but an accusation about your conduct does not excuse counsel from investigating the property's role.
What should I do after an attack involving unsafe property security?
- 1
Reach a safe place and get emergency help
Call 911 if you face an immediate threat or need urgent medical attention. Do not remain near an assailant or return to an unsafe area to gather evidence.
- 2
Report the incident and keep the reference
Make an accurate police report when appropriate and retain the report number. Notify property management in writing, without speculating about details you did not see.
- 3
Preserve what you can safely document
Save photographs of injuries and any visible property condition from a safe location. Keep messages concerning access problems or earlier requests for a repair.
- 4
Identify witnesses without confronting anyone
Record names and contact details for witnesses willing to speak. Do not approach the assailant or try to obtain private camera footage through unauthorized access.
- 5
Keep medical and income records
Retain bills, treatment instructions and work absence documentation. Discuss physical symptoms and emotional effects with an appropriate provider rather than leaving those concerns out of your care.
- 6
Seek advice before insurance interviews
Counsel can assess preservation requests and the civil claim timeline. Review requests for recorded statements, medical authorizations or releases before signing or agreeing to them.
What evidence and losses can a negligent security claim address?
- Prior incident reports and police call histories can help establish what risk the operator knew about, subject to the relevance of the earlier events.
- Repair requests for locks, lighting or access controls may show a known problem and the time available to correct it before the injury.
- Security contracts, staffing records and property rules can clarify who controlled access and which responsibilities each business undertook.
- Camera footage and witness accounts can connect a security condition with the incident, while also testing competing explanations about how it occurred.
- Medical records and clinician-supported future treatment needs document health costs; wage records help establish missed income and any supported effect on earning capacity.
- A careful account of pain, emotional distress and disruption to ordinary activities explains personal harm without assuming that every loss has the same effect on every person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a civil claim if police have not arrested anyone?
Does a hotel have to employ a security guard?
Should I give the owner's insurer a recorded account?
How do your legal fees work for an accepted case?
Where is the Lederer & Nojima office?
Our office is at 12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 480, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Call (310) 312-1860 to schedule a free consultation, or see our Google Business Profile for directions and reviews.
Legal references
General information, not legal advice. Primary sources for the rules described on this page:
Related Practice Areas
Lederer & Nojima, LLP
12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 480, Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 312-1860
Results may vary. Every case is unique. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Talk with Lederer & Nojima about a negligent security injury in a free consultation at (310) 312-1860.
Former insurance defense attorneys. No fee unless we win.