Negligent Security Attorney in Salt Lake City

Tens of Millions Recovered for Utah Injury Victims Since 2001

When a property owner’s failure to provide reasonable security leads to an assault, robbery, or other violent crime, the victims often have legal recourse. Negligent security claims hold property owners accountable for foreseeable harm they didn’t prevent. Since 2001, Eisenberg Lowrance Lundell Lofgren has represented thousands of Utahns in complex personal injury matters across Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, and beyond, recovering tens of millions of dollars in compensation along the way.

What Negligent Security Claims Cover

Negligent security is a branch of premises liability law. A property owner has a duty to protect lawful visitors from reasonably foreseeable criminal acts. When that duty goes unmet, and someone is hurt, the law may allow the injured person to pursue compensation from the property owner rather than, or in addition to, the perpetrator.

These claims arise across a wide range of locations:

• Apartment complexes and residential communities
• Parking lots and parking garages
• Hotels and motels
• Shopping centers and retail properties
• Bars and nightclubs
• Nursing homes and care facilities

To pursue a negligent security claim in Utah, a claimant generally must show that the property owner owed a duty of care, that the owner breached that duty, that the breach caused the injury, and that the injury produced actual damages. The duty owed depends on the visitor’s status. Invitees, such as customers or tenants, are owed the highest level of care. Licensees and trespassers are owed progressively lower duties under Utah law.

Foreseeability sits at the center of most contested negligent security cases. A history of prior criminal incidents at or near the property is one of the strongest ways to show that a subsequent crime should have been anticipated. Our firm maintains a dedicated elder care injury practice group with direct familiarity with negligent security incidents at nursing homes and care facilities, where residents are especially vulnerable.

Trial Experience in Complex Tort & Catastrophic Injury Cases

Negligent security cases often involve serious, life-altering injuries. They require attorneys willing to build a thorough record and, when necessary, take a case to a jury. Our attorneys have nearly 100 years of collective legal experience and have tried dozens of complex tort cases to verdict, including catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation. We’ve handled more than 150 cases with recoveries exceeding $1 million.

Our attorneys have been named to Super Lawyers and earned multi-year Legal Elite recognition from the Utah Business Journal. Members of our team have also held leadership roles within the Utah Association for Justice and drafted legislation that is now Utah law. That depth of involvement in Utah’s legal community shapes how we approach every case we take on.

How We Work with Clients

A negligent security case can stretch across months of investigation, negotiation, and, at times, trial preparation. We know that’s a long time to feel uncertain about where things stand. Our attorneys and supporting staff operate as a coordinated team, keeping you informed and engaged at every stage so you’re not left wondering what’s happening with your case.

Through co-counsel relationships and professional affiliations, we draw on broader legal networks and forensic or security resources to strengthen the evidentiary foundation of a claim. When a case calls for outside collaboration, we have the connections to make it happen.

Utah’s Legal Standards for Negligent Security Claims

Utah generally allows four years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under Utah Code Section 78B-2-307. Missing that deadline can affect your ability to pursue compensation, so acting promptly matters. Utah also follows a modified comparative negligence standard under Utah Code Section 78B-5-818: if a court finds the injured person more than 50 percent at fault, that person can’t recover compensation. Property owners defending these claims routinely argue the crime was unforeseeable, that existing security measures were adequate, or that the injured party shares fault. Building a strong counter-record from the start is essential.

Negligent security claims arising in Salt Lake County are filed in the Third District Court, which holds general civil trial jurisdiction over the county. We’re familiar with how these cases move through that court and what defendants and their insurers typically do to contest them.

Start with a Free Consultation

Security footage gets overwritten. Incident logs get discarded. The sooner you connect with a negligent security lawyer, the better positioned you may be to preserve the evidence that supports your claim. We offer free initial consultations and bilingual services in English and Spanish, with no financial pressure to learn where your case stands.