The University of North Carolina University Medical Center went on lockdown early Monday morning, November 25, during a week when families across the country are focused on preparations for Thanksgiving. Sadly, not all people are thankful during this time of year as a result of tragedies that befall their families and other loved ones.
On Monday morning, a man and woman were in the medical center parking lot, a place where few people would think that their lives were in jeopardy. While people come to hospitals like the North Carolina University Medical Center for treatment and healing, they certainly don’t believe that they run the risk of being gunned down in the parking lot. Sadly, these two people visiting the medical center were shot to death by an unknown assailant. As of late Monday afternoon, the shooter was unknown and on the loose, the reason the hospital itself remained on lockdown.
Crimes in Public Spaces
Every day people from all walks of life and from all points across the country find themselves victims of crime when they are going about their regularity activities – going to the store, attending church, visiting the hospital. The spectrum of crimes for which people become victims in places like shopping centers, outside businesses, and in parking lots is broad. Each day Americans find themselves victims of crimes in public spaces that include:
- Robbery
- Assault
- Sexual Assault Homicide
- Homicide
We hear of mass shootings, of course. However, the vast majority of serious and violent crimes that occur in public settings, including at and around spaces under the control and care of businesses are never reported and not heart about by the vast majority of people in the country. Nonetheless, every day men, women, and children find themselves the victims of crime when they’re doing nothing more than setting foot on property owned by a merchant or business of some type that they patronize.
Inadequate Security and a Failure to Keep Customers Safe
A recurring problem that opens the door to people becoming victims of crimes at and around different public locations is a failure of many businesses to take proper steps to ensure the safety and security of their customers or clients. Examples of how businesses routinely fall short and fail to exercise what legally is known as reasonable care in providing appropriate security are extensive. The long list includes everything from failing to provide adequate lighting in parking lots and parking structures to not providing security personnel when the circumstances clearly call for that type of presence.
Legal Rights When the Victim of a Crime at a Business
A person who is the victim of a crime that occurred on the grounds of business does have certain legal rights. Of course, a victim has the fair expectation that the perpetrator of a crime will be arrested and made to face the criminal justice system. However, a victim of this type of crime that was enabled because a business provided inadequate safety and security measures has other legal rights as well. An individual in this position has the ability to pursue a personal injury or wrongful death case against the business itself.
As mentioned, when a business invites people to its establishment to purchase goods or obtain services, that enterprise has a legal duty to ensure that the premises are reasonable safe and secure. If a business fails to satisfy that legal duty, or breaches that legal duty, a person who is injured as a result can pursue a claim or lawsuit to obtain justice and appropriate compensation.
If you or a loved one are the victim of a criminal act committed on the grounds of a business, a crime victim injury lawyer at The Doan Law Firm can provide a case evaluation for you at no cost. You can schedule an initial consultation any time convenient for you by calling (303) 849-0000.
A nationwide law practice, an appointment can be scheduled at any of the firm’s offices from coast-to-coast. In addition, a virtual consultation can be arranged online. There is no charge for an initial consultation with a crime victim injury lawyer form the firm. Moreover, The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee promise. The firm never charges a fee unless you win a favorable settlement or judgment.