Negligent Security Lawyer in Chicago

Holding Property Owners & Security Companies Accountable for Preventable Violence

When a property owner’s failure to provide reasonable security allows a foreseeable crime to happen, the victim has the right to pursue compensation. Negligent security is a category of premises liability claim under the Illinois Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130), and these cases routinely pit an injured person against property owners, management companies, and contracted security vendors at once. At Cogan & Power, our trial attorneys bring more than 200 years of combined legal experience to exactly these layered institutional confrontations.

We handle negligent security and all personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

If you or someone you love was attacked or seriously injured on someone else’s property in the Chicago area, call Cogan & Power today for a free, no-obligation consultation: (312) 477-2500.

What Illinois Law Requires of Property Owners

Illinois doesn’t impose a blanket obligation on property owners to prevent every possible crime. A duty arises when the owner knew or should have known that criminal activity was a foreseeable risk, typically based on a documented history of prior similar incidents at or near the property. Courts then weigh the likelihood and magnitude of potential harm against the burden reasonable precautions would place on the owner.

When that risk is foreseeable, the law may require functioning locks and gates, adequate lighting, surveillance cameras, and trained security personnel. Failing to provide those measures when they’re warranted can constitute a breach of the property owner’s duty of care.

Proving a negligent security claim requires establishing duty, breach, causation, and damages. Under Illinois’s modified comparative negligence rule, a victim can still recover as long as their share of fault doesn’t exceed 50 percent, though any award is reduced by their percentage of fault.

Where These Claims Arise & Who Can Be Held Liable

Negligent security incidents occur across a wide range of Chicago-area properties:

• Apartment buildings and complexes
• Parking garages and lots
• Bars and nightclubs
• Hotels
• Retail stores and shopping centers

Common failures include broken or defective locks and doors, insufficient lighting, malfunctioning security cameras, and inadequately trained security personnel. Depending on the lease or contract terms that governed security decisions, liability can extend beyond the property owner to a management company or a third-party security vendor.

We’ve handled cases involving exactly this kind of institutional failure. We represented a Marine Corps veteran who suffered a broken neck and paralysis after bouncers forcibly removed him from a bar, a case centered on a property’s failure to control its own security personnel.

Damages Available in a Negligent Security Case

A successful claim can recover both economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages cover medical expenses and lost wages. Non-economic damages address pain and suffering, disability, and emotional distress. When a victim dies from injuries sustained in a negligent security incident, surviving family members may also have a wrongful death claim.

Why Victims Across Chicago Choose Cogan & Power

Our attorneys include former prosecutors and experienced trial litigators who understand how institutional defendants build their defenses. That inside perspective shapes how we approach negligent security cases from the start of the investigation through trial.

We’re prepared to take a case to a jury when that’s what it takes to pursue full compensation. Many firms push for early settlements. We push for the compensation our clients may be entitled to recover, whether that means negotiating hard or presenting to a jury. Our attorneys have received Illinois Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, and Top 100 Lawyer recognitions, and our firm has recovered more than $600 million in settlements and verdicts for clients.

Talk to a Chicago Negligent Security Attorney at No Cost

A free consultation carries no obligation. We can evaluate your claim, explain your options, and outline what building your case would involve. If we take your case, our contingency fee arrangement means our fees come only from a recovery we obtain for you.

You deserve attorneys who can keep you informed at every step and treat you with the care this situation demands. Call Cogan & Power now at (312) 477-2500 to speak with a Chicago negligent security lawyer.