Over 80 Years of Personal Injury Experience. We’ve Never Represented an Insurance Company.
When a property owner’s failure to provide adequate security allows a crime to happen, the victim has legal rights that go beyond pursuing the attacker. Negligent security is a form of premises liability: South Carolina law can hold commercial and public property owners responsible when they fail to protect visitors, tenants, and customers from foreseeable criminal harm. If you were assaulted, robbed, or otherwise injured on someone else’s poorly secured property, Lewis Law Firm, LLC can help you pursue accountability from the party whose negligence may have made the attack possible.
We represent injured people in Rock Hill and throughout York County in negligent security and premises liability claims. Our firm has never represented an insurance company. Every client we take is on the injured side, and that focus has defined our practice since the beginning.
If you were harmed due to inadequate security on another party’s property, contact our office for a free consultation. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Call us today at (803) 327-1103.
Why Rock Hill Residents Choose Lewis Law Firm, LLC
Our attorney team brings over 80 years of combined personal injury experience across North and South Carolina. That depth covers complex litigation, contested liability, and high-stakes negotiations with property owners and their insurers. Our case results reflect that capability: a $3,825,000 verdict in a tractor-trailer wrongful death case and a $1,236,620.03 recovery in a motorcycle matter demonstrate what we bring to serious personal injury litigation.
We serve Rock Hill, Indian Land, and the broader York County area. For members of Rock Hill’s Spanish-speaking community, we offer bilingual representation. Hablamos Español. Language doesn’t have to be a barrier to getting the legal help you need.
Founding attorney E. Stacy Lewis leads a team that includes Bryan Sanchez, Amber Dorrell, and Grady McMehan (Of Counsel). The firm is a member of the South Carolina Association for Justice and the South Carolina Bar.
“The staff was so friendly and professional! They treated me with respect and you can tell they care.”
- Justin R.
What Negligent Security Means Under South Carolina Law
Negligent security arises when a property owner or manager fails to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable criminal activity and someone is harmed as a result. The claim is grounded in premises liability: property owners owe a duty of care to people who are lawfully on their premises. When they ignore known risks and a crime occurs, they may be held financially responsible even if they didn’t commit the act themselves.
Common incidents that give rise to these claims include physical assault, robbery, sexual assault, shooting, and burglary. The security failures behind these incidents often share recognizable patterns:
Lighting failures: Inadequate or broken lighting in parking lots, stairwells, and entryways
Absent or failed surveillance: No cameras, or cameras that weren’t functioning at the time of the incident
Untrained or absent security personnel: No security staff, or guards without proper training
Ignored prior incidents: Management that knew about prior criminal activity at the property and did nothing
Property owners can’t simply point to the criminal attacker and walk away. South Carolina law can hold owners accountable when their failure to act may have allowed anticipated harm to reach a visitor or tenant.
Where Negligent Security Incidents Happen in Rock Hill & York County
These claims arise across a wide range of properties, and no property type is immune when security standards aren’t met. Locations where negligent security incidents commonly occur include apartment complexes and rental housing, shopping centers and retail parking lots, bars, clubs, and restaurants, hotels and motels, gas stations and convenience stores, office buildings, medical facility parking areas, and college campus housing.
Properties with a documented history of prior criminal activity may carry a heightened duty to implement adequate protections. As York County’s residential and commercial development has grown, more property owners must meet that duty and may be held accountable when they don’t.
Proving a Negligent Security Claim in South Carolina
To succeed in a negligent security claim, the injured person must establish four elements: (1) the property owner owed a duty of care to keep the premises reasonably safe; (2) the owner breached that duty by failing to implement adequate security; (3) that breach directly caused or allowed the criminal act that resulted in injury; and (4) the victim suffered measurable damages.
Foreseeability is the central issue in most of these cases. The question is whether the property owner knew or reasonably should have known that a criminal act was likely, based on the history of the property or surrounding area. Evidence that can establish these elements includes police reports and prior incident records, security camera footage, property maintenance logs, witness statements, and expert testimony on reasonable security standards for that type of property.
Under S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5), the statute of limitations for premises liability and personal injury claims is three years, and the clock generally starts on the date of the incident. Contacting a negligent security lawyer promptly after an incident can help preserve critical evidence, including surveillance footage that may be overwritten within days.
Compensation Available in a Negligent Security Case
A successful claim may allow a victim to recover compensation across several categories of loss. Medical costs are typically the foundation, covering emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, and ongoing rehabilitation. Beyond medical expenses, recoverable damages may include:
Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
Physical pain and suffering
Emotional trauma and counseling costs
Permanent scarring or disfigurement
Loss of enjoyment of life
Property damage incurred during the incident
In cases where the property owner’s conduct was especially reckless or reflected willful disregard for safety, courts may also award punitive damages. When a victim does not survive the attack, wrongful death damages may be available to surviving family members.
How We Investigate a Negligent Security Case
Building a strong claim requires a thorough look at the conditions that existed before and during the incident. Our investigation examines prior criminal activity reported at or near the property, security inspection records, incident reports filed with management or law enforcement, and what steps the owner took or failed to take after known risks were identified.
We review whether lighting was functioning at the time, whether door locks and access controls were working, whether an alarm or surveillance system was in place and operational, whether the property used a qualified and properly trained security service, and who had access to the property and how. Where it strengthens the case, we work with security industry professionals to evaluate whether the measures in place met reasonable standards for a property of that type and crime history. Because surveillance footage can be overwritten quickly, contacting our office promptly after an incident can make a real difference in what evidence is preserved.
Civil Claims & Criminal Charges: How They Differ
A negligent security case is a civil claim brought by the injured victim against the property owner, entirely separate from any criminal proceedings against the attacker. In the criminal case, a prosecutor pursues charges against the individual who committed the act. In the civil claim, the injured person seeks financial compensation from the property owner or manager whose failure to provide adequate security may have allowed the crime to occur.
These two proceedings carry different standards, different burdens of proof, and different outcomes. A victim may succeed in a civil negligent security claim even if the attacker is never charged or convicted. Evidence from a criminal prosecution, including a conviction if one occurs, may support the civil claim but isn’t required. The civil case stands on its own.
Talk to a Negligent Security Lawyer in Rock Hill at No Cost
If you or someone you love was injured on another party’s poorly secured property, you may have a claim against the property owner. Lewis Law Firm, LLC offers free consultations for Rock Hill and York County residents. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis: you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Our firm has never represented an insurance company. We work only for injured people, and we offer bilingual services in Spanish so every member of our community can access the representation they need.
To speak with a negligent security attorney in Rock Hill, call Lewis Law Firm, LLC today at (803) 327-1103.
