Property owners have a duty to ensure that their guests are safe on their premises. Not only must they protect their guests from the dangers presented by wet floors and gas leaks, property owners must take measures to protect their guests from becoming the victims of violent crimes. Failure to do so may create a cause of action due to inadequate security.
Hotels, parking garages, and apartment building lobbies are places where property owners regularly fail to implement safeguards against violent criminals, especially during times like spring break. Inadequate security can lead to horrible consequences. For example, it appears that inadequate security led to a 9-year old girl being molested at a Pennsylvania Ritz-Carlton.
This past Sunday at 4 am, a middle-aged man told a hotel clerk that he was staying in a specific room, but that his room key was not working. The clerk gave the man a new key, and it appears the clerk failed to confirm he was staying in that room.
The man tried to enter the room, but the door was chained so he forced his way in and walked into a bedroom with 3 young children. Investigators say he molested a 9 year child.
Although it is still early to make this determination with these facts, it appears that the Ritz-Carlton may be held liable because it failed to provide adequate security. Before providing this man with a room key, the hotel had a duty to check whether or not the man was a registered guest and whether they gave him a key to a room he booked.
If you or a loved one have become the victim of violent crime at a hotel, or any place for that matter, you may have the right to file suit against the property. At Alvarez & Barbara, we have experience with inadequate security cases and have achieved favorable results for our clients.
