York Negligent Security Attorneys

Over 100 Years Fighting for Victims of Negligent Property Managers. No Fee Unless We Win.

When a property owner fails to provide reasonable security and someone is harmed as a result, Pennsylvania law can hold that owner accountable. Negligent security is a subset of premises liability: if you were assaulted, robbed, or otherwise injured on someone else’s property in York, you may have a legal claim against the owner or manager of that property. Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC has a York office and has represented injured Central Pennsylvanians for over 100 years, helping more than 40,000 clients since 1922. Past results have included tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, though prior outcomes don’t guarantee a similar result in your case.

There are no upfront costs when you work with us. You pay nothing unless we win.

What a Negligent Security Claim Requires in Pennsylvania

A negligent security claim follows the same duty-breach-causation-damages framework as other premises liability cases, but foreseeability is the element that determines whether a claim may succeed. Property owners may be liable when the risk of criminal activity was foreseeable given prior incidents at the location, the nature of the business, or the crime history of the surrounding area. Not every crime on someone’s property creates liability. The injured person must show the owner knew or should have known a criminal act was likely and failed to take reasonable steps in response.

Pennsylvania also follows a modified comparative fault rule. If a court finds you were 51 percent or more responsible for your own harm, you can’t recover damages. If you were less than 51 percent at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share of responsibility. Understanding how that calculation might apply is part of what we assess during a consultation.

Common Locations & Security Failures in York Negligent Security Cases

Negligent security claims arise across a wide range of property types. Apartment complexes, parking lots and garages, bars and nightclubs, hotels, shopping centers, and office buildings are among the most common settings. What constitutes adequate security depends on the property and its context, which is why foreseeability matters in every case.

Courts examine specific failures when evaluating these claims:

• Broken or absent locks on entry doors, gates, or controlled-access areas
• Non-functioning or absent security cameras in high-traffic or vulnerable areas
• Inadequate lighting in parking lots, walkways, and stairwells
• Untrained or absent security personnel at properties where a threat was foreseeable
• Failure to respond to prior incidents reported to management or documented on the property

A high-traffic nightclub in a commercial corridor carries a different security standard than a low-volume office building, and the surrounding area’s crime history factors directly into what a court considers reasonable.

How Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC Builds Negligent Security Cases for York Clients

Negligent security cases depend on evidence: surveillance footage, incident reports, maintenance records, and documentation of prior crimes near the property. We employ a full-time on-staff investigator whose focus is determining what happened and who bears responsibility. That investigative capacity is built into every case we take, not something we add later.

Our York office means we’re familiar with local proceedings and available to meet with you directly. For clients who can’t travel, our attorneys come to them, including home visits and hospital meetings.

Our attorneys have received recognition from Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers®, Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and National Trial Lawyers Top 100. Multiple members of our team hold membership in both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and we’ve secured million-dollar results for injured clients throughout our history. If you’re looking for a negligent security lawyer in York with the resources to investigate your case thoroughly, we’re ready to help.

Damages You May Be Able to Recover

A successful negligent security claim in Pennsylvania can include both economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages cover medical expenses, future treatment costs, lost wages, and rehabilitation. Noneconomic damages address pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, PTSD, and diminished quality of life. What you may be entitled to recover depends on the specifics of your case.

Under Pennsylvania law, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including negligent security, is two years from the date of the injury. Missing that deadline can foreclose your right to pursue recovery from the property owner. Acting promptly also matters for practical reasons: surveillance footage gets overwritten, witnesses’ memories fade, and property conditions get repaired. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to build the foreseeability proof these claims require.

York County Court Proceedings & Local Familiarity

If your negligent security claim proceeds to litigation, it can be filed in the York County Court of Common Pleas, the trial court for Pennsylvania’s 19th Judicial District. Working with a firm that has a York office and experience in that court environment shapes how a case is structured and argued from the start. Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC represents clients throughout York County and brings that local familiarity to every case we handle here.

Talk to a Negligent Security Attorney in York at No Cost

If you were harmed by criminal activity on a property in York and believe the owner failed to provide reasonable security, we want to hear what happened. Consultations are free, and you won’t owe us anything unless we recover compensation for you. Our York office is ready to take your call, and our attorneys can come to you if you’re unable to travel.