Negligent Security Lawyers in Reading, PA

Wrongful Injury Attorneys Representing Assault & Crime Victims

If you were assaulted, robbed, or otherwise harmed on someone else’s property, the property owner may bear legal responsibility for what happened. Negligent security is a branch of Pennsylvania premises liability law: when a property owner fails to maintain reasonably secure conditions and a foreseeable criminal act injures a visitor, that owner can be held liable in a civil claim.

Liever, Hyman & Potter has represented wrongful injury victims in Reading since 1959. Our four attorneys handle only wrongful injury and death claims. No real estate closings. No business contracts. Virtually all of our combined 115-plus years of practice has been devoted to one purpose: fighting for people hurt through no fault of their own. Other law firms routinely refer clients to us, a measure of how the legal community regards our record.

If you were injured due to inadequate security on someone else’s property, contact us today for a free consultation. You pay no fees and no case expenses until we recover for you. Call (610) 885-1991.

When a Property Owner Can Be Held Liable in Pennsylvania

Property owners in Pennsylvania owe lawful visitors, tenants, and guests a duty of care to maintain reasonably secure environments. Whether that duty was breached in your case comes down to foreseeability: did the owner know, or should they have known, that a criminal act was likely? If yes, and they failed to act, liability can follow.

Courts look at prior criminal incidents on or near the property, the nature and operating hours of the location, and whether the owner received complaints or warnings and ignored them. Common security failures that give rise to liability include:

• Inadequate lighting in parking lots, stairwells, and common areas
• Absent or non-functioning security cameras
• Insufficient or untrained security personnel
• Unsecured, broken, or propped-open entrances and exits
• Failure to respond to known, recurring threats

Property types frequently involved include apartment complexes, parking garages, shopping centers, hotels, bars, nightclubs, convenience stores, and large event venues. A criminal conviction of the attacker doesn’t compensate you. A civil claim targets the property owner’s negligence and their insurance directly. Depending on the facts, liability can also extend to a property management company, a private security firm, or an event organizer.

What a Negligent Security Victim May Recover

Victims who establish a valid negligent security claim in Pennsylvania may seek both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can include emergency and ongoing medical costs, surgery, rehabilitation, psychological counseling, lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Punitive damages are rare but may apply when a property owner’s disregard for known security risks was particularly egregious. One important rule to understand: Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence law may reduce or bar recovery if you’re found to share fault for the incident. A plaintiff found 51% or more responsible can’t recover from other parties. Insurance adjusters routinely try to shift blame onto victims to reduce or deny claims. Having legal representation early can limit how much ground that tactic can gain.

What Our Record Means for Your Case

Negligent security claims require fast action. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Incident reports disappear. Security logs are purged. An attorney whose entire practice is built around wrongful injury claims knows what evidence to request, how quickly to move, and what it takes to build a claim against a property owner and their insurer.

Since 1959, our firm has recovered thousands of awards and settlements for wrongful injury victims in the Reading area, more than any other firm located in Berks and Schuylkill County. In a recent three-year period alone, our attorneys secured more than 500 awards and settlements, including numerous million-dollar and multi-million-dollar results. Our documented track record across wrongful injury and death claims includes a $12.75 million settlement, a $3.265 million wrongful death settlement, a $6.5 million settlement for a client who suffered a brain bleed resulting in hemiplegia, and a $3.5 million trucking crash settlement. These results span the wrongful injury and death work we do and reflect what a team with undivided focus has accomplished.

Lead attorney John R. Badal has represented wrongful injury victims exclusively since his admission to the Pennsylvania bar in 1978. He was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991 and holds membership in both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, recognition tied to documented results at those thresholds. He has served as Chairman of the Civil Litigation Section and the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Berks County Bar Association. Every case we accept is assigned to a Civil Trial attorney qualified to handle it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Have a Claim Just Because I Was Victimized on Someone Else’s Property?

Not automatically. The central question is whether the crime was foreseeable and whether the property owner failed to take reasonable precautions. Being the victim of a crime on private property doesn’t by itself establish liability. The specific facts matter, and an attorney can evaluate whether the conditions that existed support a valid claim.

How Long Do I Have to File in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including negligent security, is two years from the date of the incident. Exceptions may apply for minor victims. Because surveillance footage and incident records can disappear quickly, contacting an attorney as soon as possible can protect your ability to build a complete case.

Can I Sue the Property Owner If My Attacker Was Never Caught?

Yes. A civil claim against the property owner is entirely separate from any criminal proceeding. The standard of proof in civil court is lower, and neither the attacker’s identity nor a criminal conviction is required to pursue a negligent security claim.

What If the Property Owner Claims They Had Security in Place?

The presence of some security measures doesn’t automatically defeat your claim. Courts evaluate whether the measures in place were reasonable given the known risks at that specific location. A security camera that doesn’t record, or a guard who wasn’t present during the hours the threat was known to be active, may not satisfy the duty of care.

Get a Free Consultation for Your Case

If you or someone you love was harmed due to inadequate security in Reading, PA, or the surrounding area, we want to hear what happened. There’s no cost to talk with us, and you won’t owe fees or case expenses unless we recover for you. That commitment applies to every client and every case we take.

Contact Liever, Hyman & Potter today to schedule your free consultation. Call (610) 885-1991.