If you've been attacked, you'll hope that the police will arrest the culprit and proceed with criminal charges against him or her. You may also wish to hire a personal injury attorney to not only prepare a suit against the assailant, but perhaps also against the owner of the property on which the attack took place. Even if the property owner didn't directly play a role in the attack, his or her negligence may have had an impact. These are details that your attorney and his or her team will investigate and use to build a case.
Property Access
In the case of an attack on private property, your attorney's investigators will ascertain the ease with which the assailant got onto the property. The property owner has a responsibility to make the area safe for those who are tenants or otherwise legitimate users, but this may not always occur. For example, if the area is fenced but the gate has been broken for some time — and numerous residents have complained about the gate without it being fixed — this demonstrates negligence on the property owner's part.
Previous Incidents
Some areas have a history of assaults, which should compel the property owner to take steps to make the area safer. For example, if you were assaulted in an apartment complex that has had some past incidents of this nature, the owner should have done several things. He or she could have put up security cameras, installed additional lighting, and perhaps even hired a security guard to patrol the grounds. Your attorney's investigators can dig into this history, which can often strengthen the claim of negligence.
Failure To Identify The Property As Private
A property owner should also take steps to identify the property as private. Failing to do so may encourage anyone to use the property for any reason, which can be a concern for those who have a legitimate reason to be there. For example, private property should have signs that identify it as such and that warn people that the property management team takes trespassing seriously. A property owner's apathy in this regard may have directly contributed to the presence of the person who did you harm. All three of these factors don't have to be relevant in your personal injury case. If even one is relevant, your attorney will assess the situation and move forward on your behalf to seek damages for your injury.