Articles Posted in Negligent Security

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Suga Land Gentleman’s Club Shooting in Louisville, KY Leaves One Man Fatally Injured.

Suga Land Gentleman’s Club Shooting in Louisville, KY Leaves One Man Fatally Injured. (WAVE3.com)

Did negligent security contribute to the shooting at a Louisville nightclub and are justice and compensation available to the victim’s family?  Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available.

LOCAL NEWS

One man is dead after a shooting at a Louisville, KY nightclub early Saturday morning, Nov 11, 2023.

As reported by WAVE3.com, “officers were called to Suga Land Gentleman’s Club in the 3500 block of 7th Street Road around 3:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found a man inside the business who had been shot.”

WLKY.com is reporting, “[e]mergency medical services were called to the scene where he was pronounced dead.”

The investigation is ongoing.

IS JUSTICE AVAILABLE? OUR LEGAL TAKE

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FORMER CLIENT: I had lawyers calling me, and friends telling me who I should hire…I trusted in The Murray Law Firm and I’m glad I did.

Nightclub guests have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises. The level of security provided at the property is of significance, and is a relevant consideration when analyzing whether this shooting may have been prevented.  The following questions are also important in assessing whether this incident may have been avoided:

  • Have prior incidents of violence been reported on or near the property?
  • Was the property owner or manager aware of any suspicious activity prior to the shooting?
  • Were any security personnel at the property?
  • Were security measures added after any prior incidents?
  • Does the property owner or management have a protocol to check guests for deadly weapons prior to entering the establishment?
  • Have authorities been to the property on prior occasions?

Property owners are generally required to protect against foreseeable harm to anyone and everyone legally on the premises.  Should the investigation into this incident reveal facts that establish that the property owner or management lacked adequate security to protect its residents and visitors, the deceased victim’s family may seek justice and elect to pursue legal claims and substantial compensation for their loss. 

The Murray Law Firm has extensive and successful experience in handling security negligence claims on behalf of victims and their families, and suggests that an immediate, unbiased inspection of the property will need to be performed so as to limit evidence from being altered, damaged or destroyed.  The complexities of pursuing a negligent security case are well understood by the legal team at The Murray Law Firm, and it is imperative that the deceased victim’s family retain a capable law firm who will work without delay to protect their interests.

OUR RESULTS: OVER $125 MILLION IN VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS FOR OUR CLIENTS

The Murray Law Firm has a long history of representing victims of violence and security negligence.  We have obtained over $125 Million in verdicts and settlements for our Clients, including:

  • A $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property.
  • Settlement in excess of $10 million dollars for a victim of gun violence at an apartment complex.
  • Settlement in excess of $10 million dollars for a family who lost a loved one to gun violence at a commercial property.

We offer our legal assistance, if desired.  We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888-842-1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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DISCLAIMERS:  The information contained in this post is from secondary sources and may therefore contain inaccuracies. We will gladly correct or remove this post upon request.  The material contained in this post is not intended to constitute legal advice. As each Client is unique, please contact us for a free consultation on your particular case.  “Contingent attorneys’ fees” refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.

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NightClubBars and nightclubs often employ security staff to oversee property access-control, prevent violence and protect patrons. These duties place nightclub security in potentially violent situations, giving security staff the opportunity to either escalate or deter violence.

The Global Campaign for Violence Prevention explores how proper nightclub security training programs may prevent violence:

Global Nightclub Violence Interventions 

In several countries, training programs have been developed to provide door staff with the necessary skills to perform their role. Such programs aim to raise awareness among door staff of how their own actions impact on customer behavior and to develop skills in customer relations and management. Components of training programs can include: conflict management (including deescalation techniques); appropriate searching methods; drug and alcohol awareness; civil and criminal law; health and safety at work; and emergency evacuation management. In Canada, the Safer Bars program…aimed to reduce aggression in bars in Toronto through the provision of training for bar owners and staff. The program showed a significant effect in reducing severe and moderate aggression in bars….

In the UK, use of door staff is often a condition of bar and nightclub licensing and basic door staff training is a requirement of employment….Now all door staff working in England and Wales must hold a licence issued by the National Security Industry Authority. Individuals with previous convictions for offenses such as violence and drug dealing are excluded, and all license holders must have undertaken training. Furthermore, in a predominantly male profession, women are being encouraged to train as door staff with free training for female door staff having been provided in London by the Security Industry Authority….

In the absence of similar legislation in New Zealand, a voluntary code of conduct and a training programme has been established by the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA). The NZSA was created to promote professionalism in the security industry, set minimum standards for its members, and develop and provide training….

In Sweden…the STAD project incorporated door staff training into wider measures to create a safer nightlife environment in Stockholm, such as the provision of late night transport. The evaluation found a 29% reduction in violent crime following implementation of the project.

In the UK, communication between door staff and other agencies working in nightlife has been increased in many areas through the development of Pubwatch schemes. These schemes bring together staff in bars and nightclubs, police and other agencies…within local areas and typically include the establishment of a dedicated radio network between members and a banning system to prevent persistent troublemakers from using bars and nightclubs.

There Future

The rapid expansion of nightlife environments in many countries and corresponding increases in alcohol-related problems such as violence has meant that the need for security in nightlife has increased. Huge demands can be placed on limited police resources during busy nightlife periods, and with door staff often outnumbering police in nightlife areas, their role in violence prevention is one that should be recognised and strengthened. By its very nature, the role of door staff means they are frequently placed in aggressive situations and without appropriate training and management, door staff may not only be ineffective at preventing violence but may actually act as a contributing factor. However, research has shown that door staff training programs can be effective in giving individuals the skills they require to carry out their role and in preventing violence. Further, registration schemes can give authorities the power to prevent those with histories of violence and other criminal activity from working as door staff, and to require training as a condition of employment. Local police, licensing officials and other agencies should work with door staff to ensure the added resource they can bring to maintaining safety and reducing violence in the night time environment is utilized to its full potential.

Read full report here.

The Murray Law Firm protects victims of nightclub security negligence and urges nightclub owners to implement proper security training programs to protect patrons. According to GCVP guidelines, security training may include: conflict management (including deescalation techniques); appropriate searching methods; drug and alcohol awareness; civil and criminal law; health and safety at work; and emergency evacuation management.

We’ve Recovered Millions for Victims of Nightclub Security Negligence…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.

The Murray Law Firm has extensive and successful experience in representing victims of nightclub security negligence and we offer our legal expertise, if desired.  We typically represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or call at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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Hotel Key CardLocation. Price. Amenities. These are items most travelers look for when selecting a hotel or motel. Requirements that may not make a traveler’s hotel wishlist are: bright lighting; surveillance cameras; 24 hour security; and room key-controlled entry to the property.

A CBS This Morning report warns, “Far too many people let their guard down when traveling, especially when it comes to their hotel.”

Read the full report for “a breakdown of everything you need to know about hotel safety in the U.S.”:

American Hotel Security is Lacking

Although 9/11 was a wakeup call for everybody, most officials in the hotel industry in the U.S. aren’t willing to spend money on security.

Hotels are filled with vulnerabilities: multiple entrances and exits, driveways, underground entries, spacious and busy lobbies, non-guests who eat at the restaurant and come in for conferences and events. But those risks are also the hotels’ livelihood: it’s not in a hotel’s best interest to scare away potential business by employing armed guards, installing metal detectors or X-rays, limiting entrances, or even checking IDs.

In fact, security experts don’t know of ANY hotel in the US that has implemented high-security measures that we see in Asia and the Middle East: metal detectors, explosive vapor devices, barriers in front of the hotel, screening of bags, screening under vehicles, or “hardening” glazing structures of windows and entranceways.

In general, the most an American hotel will do is implement increased security cameras, limit access into the building, require key cards to get to guest room floors, and train staff to be alert to odd behavior. Until recently, even security cameras or CCTV on guest room floors was considered taboo. The measures that have been implemented also help prevent petty crime and assault, so the hotels’ motives for doing so are manifold.

Most U.S. hotels are mid-market products  where you won’t see anything more than cameras for loss prevention and maybe locking perimeter doors. It’s the higher-end hotels that have implemented any significant measures—and much of that is to block out the riff-raff and ensure privacy.

Don’t Worry, Your Personal Information is NOT Stored on Key Cards

In 2003, the Pasadena police department police issued a warning about plastic hotel card keys. According to this message, a local Doubletreehotel had key cards that contained encoded personal information such as your name, a partial home address, the hotel room number, your check out date…and your credit card number. Well, simply put, hotels do not put your personal information on the card. Key cards actually use RFID technology, or a system that generates a code that the lock recognizes, NOT your room number.

According to Snopes.com, what happened was the police had been made aware that a keycard could be wiped clean and then reused by identity thieves to store information, NOT that the hotel had put the information on there. Any blank magnetic card could be used for this purpose. But the  information got released and became so widespread that the Pasadena police had to issue a retraction in 2009: “As of today, detectives have contacted several large hotels and computer companies using plastic card key technology and they assure us that personal information, especially credit card information, is not included on their key cards.”

HOWEVER…Hotel Locks Aren’t as Secure as You Think

A Mozilla developer and security researcher demonstrated the security in one of the most common key card locks in hotels. At the Black Hat Las Vegas security conference in July, Cody Brocious reverse engineered the locks by inserting a small, homemade device into the keycard lock, read the digital key that triggers the lock, and opened it. He explained that it was “stupidly simple” to exploit the locks. Onity locks can be found in more than 4 million hotel rooms around the world.

In September, there was a there was a string of break-ins at a Houston Hyatt in which the thief hacked the lock with a digital tool that triggered the door to open. The hotel itself took measures for a temporary fix by puttying the vulnerable port on the door. Since then Onity has been offering to replace the circuit boards for locks bought after 2005; older models will replace the locks for a fee, or will send a plastic plug to cover the port.

Hotel Safes Aren’t as Safe as You Think

The innkeeper liability laws limit how much the hotel is responsible for items left in your hotel room–even if it’s in the safe. Even worse, they’ll often charge you for the privilege of using that safe. The amount varies by state, but you can usually find the exact amount posted on the back of your hotel room door or in another conspicuous place. You’re better off storing valuables like passports in the front-desk safe. Confirm how much they’re liable for, and a get a written receipt of the items you’ve left there. If you have to leave items in the room, like a laptop, consider storing it in a slashproof bag. Then use a cable lock that holds the zipper shut and secures the bag to a stationery piece of furniture.

That Room with a View Can be Deadly

There’s not a fire department in the country that can easily fight a fire above the eighth floor, so ask for a lower floor.

Find out what kind of fire safety devices are in place. Every hotel should have hard-wired, single-station smoke detectors in each guestroom. Those more than three stories should have an automatic sprinkler system with a head in each room.

Check the US Fire Administration website for a database of fire-safe hotels.

You know the map on the door that show the nearest exits? It’s there for a reason. Then you actually have to find those exits. You should be able to locate at least two exits, in case one is blocked, and count how many doors there are between your room and the exits.

Keep your room key and a small flashlight in your shoes by your bed, in case you have to make a quick escape. Bottom line: a hotel fire is serious business, but there are steps you can take to make sure you’re as prepared as possible.

We’ve Recovered Millions for Our Clients…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.

The Murray Law Firm has extensive and successful experience in representing victims of hotel and motel security negligence and we offer our legal expertise, if desired.  We typically represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or call at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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