Articles Posted in Public Service Announcements

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(FOX 10)

Parking garages present inherent security challenges as they frequently occupy a large space with low levels of activity and numerous hiding places for would-be attackers.

A woman was sexually assaulted in the RSA Battle House Tower parking garage Tuesday, June 5, 2018, according to FOX 10 reports. Police told media the incident occurred “around 9:20 a.m. in the RSA Tower parking garage on Water Street.”

The attack raises grave security concerns for parking facility owners throughout the state. Mobile police are now making “suggestions to RSA on how to improve security so a crime like this doesn’t happen again.”

“This is a pretty open parking garage. It’s pretty easy for people to get into,” Public Safety Director James Barber told FOX 10. “There is a lot of walk through traffic also that occurs between the RSA and YMCA and so again, what type of measures can they reasonably take to secure the area from unauthorized entry and certainly people that are up to ill will.”

Victims of Parking Facility Violence: Know Your Rights

Parking facility patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By law, property owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a parking garage owner have knowledge of prior violence on or near property, they have a responsibility to implement additional security precautions to protect patrons and deter such crime. Should a property owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries, rapes, sexual assaults, or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

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A June 2018 CNN investigation alleges, “[r]ideshare companies Uber and Lyft have approved thousands of people who should have been disqualified because of criminal records.”

The rideshare apps’ driver screening processes have been under scrutiny since an April 2018 CNN investigation, revealed there are “at least 103 Uber drivers in the U.S. who have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their passengers in the past four years.”

Despite these disturbing allegations, most states have allowed Uber and Lyft to continue to operate with little or no regulation. CNN reports, “Of the 43 states that have passed laws or rules regulating rideshare driver background checks and eligibility, none require fingerprint-based checks, CNN found. In 31 states, the laws largely mirror Uber’s recommended screening policies, in some cases nearly word-for-word.”

Victims of Rideshare Assault: Know Your Rights

By law, all patrons of taxi, limo and ridesharing services have a right to feel safe and secure while in the vehicle. Assaults and rapes at the hands of transportation service drivers have become all too frequent and raise grave questions about employee screenings and criminal background checks.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

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(News 3)

An argument outside Kelley’s Market gas station in Madison reportedly escalated into gunfire early Sunday morning, May 27, 2018. Thankfully, The Wisconsin State Journal reports, nobody was harmed during the shooting. However, the incident raises grave concerns over security and safety measures at Madison area gas stations.

Gas stations are often targets for criminal activity due to (frequently) late hours of operation, accessibility to major roadways, and vulnerable patrons. The National Crime Prevention Council urges patrons to reduce their risk of becoming victims by taking the following safety precautions:

  • Pick stations that are well-lit and have video surveillance cameras at the pump.
  • Always remove your keys and lock the doors while you are pumping gas.
  • Keep valuables out of plain view in your vehicle and lock the doors even if you are going inside for a moment.
  • Pay attention to your surroundings.
  • Don’t let your cell phone distract you.

Victims of Gas Station Violence: Know Your Rights

Gas station patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By law, business owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a gas station owner have knowledge of prior violence on or near property, they have a responsibility to implement additional security precautions to protect patrons and deter such crime. Additional security measures may include bright lighting, a security guard or off-duty police officer, surveillance cameras, and bulletproof pass-through windows for cash transactions. Should a gas station owner or manager fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

You Deserve Justice. We Can Help.

The Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims and families of negligent gas station security. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we offer our legal assistance, if desired. 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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NightClub-300x200Defying a culture that has all too often silenced victims of sexual harassment, the #MeToo movement has ushered in a heightened social awareness of sexual misconduct in the workplace and beyond. Predators once protected by corporate profit margins and a social taboo of openly discussing harassment, sexual assault, and rape, are finally being held accountable and a fresh intolerance for such behavior is trickling into other social corners.

A January 2018 Noisey investigation explores How Nightclubs Are Taking a Stand Against Sexual Harassment amid the #MeToo movement:

Noisey interviewed a broad range of partygoers and nightlife professionals in New York City, and their words paint a troubling picture: that of one of the city’s best-known industries is struggling to adequately confront harmful behavior in the spaces where people go to enjoy themselves….

Several industry sources noted that clubs generally have internal policies around how to control customers’ behavior and deal with violent incidents—for example, when to stop serving someone alcohol, or when to call the police and how to deal with them when they arrive. Nevertheless, it’s rare for venues to have detailed policies for dealing with harassment specifically, and still less common for them to make those policies public. This lack of explicit protocol is surprising given how vulnerable nightlife venues can be to this kind of behavior….

There are signs of change, however. As Noisey’s reporting revealed, some New York clubs are beginning to tackle harassment more transparently, engaging actively with their customers and formulating explicit policies on how to stamp out such behavior.

Can Victims of Nightclub Sexual Assault Seek Justice and Compensation? 

Bar and nightclub patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By law, property owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. Should a nightclub owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

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CampusEmergencyPhone-225x300College campuses often create a false sense of security for the students who live there. Potentially thousands of students on campus make it nearly impossible for residents to control access to their dormitories or identify an intruder. Additionally, sprawling grounds, buildings and landscaping can provide hiding places for would-be predators.

RAINN urges students to take the following precautions on campus:

Know your resources. Who should you contact if you or a friend needs help? Where should you go? Locate resources such as the campus health center, campus police station, and a local sexual assault service provider. Notice where emergency phones are located on campus, and program the campus security number into your cell phone for easy access.

Stay alert. When you’re moving around on campus or in the surrounding neighborhood, be aware of your surroundings. Consider inviting a friend to join you or asking campus security for an escort. If you’re alone, only use headphones in one ear to stay aware of your surroundings.

Be careful about posting your location. Many social media sites, like Facebook and Foursquare, use geolocation to publicly share your location. Consider disabling this function and reviewing other social media settings.

Make others earn your trust. A college environment can foster a false sense of security. They may feel like fast friends, but give people time earn your trust before relying on them.

Think about Plan B. Spend some time thinking about back-up plans for potentially sticky situations. If your phone dies, do you have a few numbers memorized to get help? Do you have emergency cash in case you can’t use a credit card? Do you have the address to your dorm or college memorized? If you drive, is there a spare key hidden, gas in your car, and a set of jumper cables?

Be secure. Lock your door and windows when you’re asleep and when you leave the room. If people constantly prop open the main door to the dorm or apartment, tell security or a trusted authority figure.

Victims of College Campus Sexual Assault: Know Your Rights

Students have a right to feel safe and secure in their dormitories and on their college campuses. By law, colleges are required to protect all students and guests legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. For example, should college administration have knowledge of prior violence on or near property, they have a responsibility to implement additional security precautions to protect students and deter furture crime. Should they fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries, sexual assaults, or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

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Hundreds of Miami Northwestern High School students held a peaceful walkout to protest gun violence following a Liberty City apartment shooting, which claimed the lives of two of their classmates and left two others injured.

According to CBS Miami, “The students are angry and upset about continuing gun violence in their neighborhood, which took two more lives Sunday including 17-year-old Northwest Senior High student Kimson Green and former student Ricky Dixon, 18….Another Northwestern High 12th grade student and an unidentified fourth person both survived.”

The young victims were apparently sitting on the lawn outside a row of apartments when gunfire erupted. The tragedy is part of “an escalating wave of violence” in the community, per CBS Miami reports.

Preventing Youth Violence

The CDC has released a group of strategies to help communities and states sharpen their focus on prevention activities with the greatest potential to prevent youth violence and its consequences. Read the full report here.

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(CDC)

Victims of Miami Apartment Violence: Know Your Rights

Families should not be afraid in their own homes. While community leaders and law enforcement work to end violence in the Liberty City and Brownsville neighborhoods, local apartment owners must do their part to deter crime and protect residents. Apartment residents and guests have a right to be safe and secure while on the premises.  By law, apartment owners and management companies have a duty to protect residents from any foreseeable harm. For example, should an apartment owner have knowledge of prior violence and criminal activity in the surrounding area, they must take reasonable steps to protect residents and deter future crime. Additional security measures may include gated-entry, fencing, bright lighting, security patrols, surveillance cameras, emergency call boxes, and off-duty police patrols. Should a property owner fail in this critical duty, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or deaths which occur as a consequence.

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Gym parking facilities present inherent security challenges as they often operate during dark, early morning and late night hours. Further, gym parking facilities frequently occupy a large space with low levels of activity and numerous hiding places for would-be attackers. While gym and parking facility owners are required by law to protect patrons from any foreseeable harm, Montgomery Chief of Police and former Secret Service agent, Jim Napolitano, urges patrons to take security precautions of their own.

KPRC Channel 2 asked Chief Napolitano to show patrons:

What To Do If Someone Is Waiting for You In the Gym Parking Lot

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(Video: KPRC 2)

Chief Napolitano’s Top 4 Safety Tips for Parking Lot Safety:

  1. Check your surroundings.
  2. Keep a safe distance between you and strangers.
  3. Create a path for movement.
  4. If it doesn’t feel safe, go back inside. Don’t go to your car.

Victims of Gym and Parking Facility Violence: Know Your Rights

Gym and parking facility patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By law, property owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a gym owner have knowledge of prior violence on or near property, they have a responsibility to implement additional security precautions to protect patrons and deter such crime. Should a gym owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

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HotelOpenDoor-300x211Hotels and apartments are frequently targets for criminal activity. Guests and tenants have little control over, or knowledge of, those entering and exiting the property, making it difficult to identify a person who does not belong. This is particularly dangerous in isolated common areas, such as a parking lots, laundry rooms, and swimming pools. Hotel and apartment complex grounds are frequently landscaped with trees and bushes, providing ample hiding spaces for criminals, especially at night.

Hotel and apartment owners have a responsibility to deter such crime and protect guests from foreseeable harm. Proactive security measures, such as guarded entry, fencing, bright lighting, surveillance cameras, and access-controlled common areas, help to reduce risk of violence.

Local law enforcement often provides crime prevention training programs for apartment and hotel owners, managers and security staff.  The Reno Police Department describes their Crime Free Multi-Housing & Hotel initiative as “a state-of-the-art crime prevention program designed to reduce crime upon properties. This program was successfully founded by Tim Zhering of the Mesa Arizona Police Department in 1992. The program has spread to nearly 2,000 cities in 48 U.S. States, 5 Canadian Provinces, England, Nigeria, and Puerto Rico.”

Property owners and managers are encouraged to implement security precautions and training programs, such as the one described above, to protect guests and deter crime.

Guest Rights and Property Owner Responsibility

Hotel guests and apartment tenants have a right to be safe and secure while on property. By law, hotel and apartment owners have a duty to protect those legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. Should a property owner or manager fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or deaths which occur as a consequence.

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

Headline Frame Fox News DeskThe Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims of violence and security negligence. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we recently obtained a $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe 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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Swimming-Pool-200x300Summer is fast approaching and with it families and friends will flock to community pools. Apartment owners and managers should take this time to ensure property swimming pools and spas are both clean and safe.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that each year 383 children younger than age 15 drown in pools and spas, and that there are more than 5,000 emergency room visits by kids each year with submersion injuries.

Because apartment community pools are often unsupervised, property owners should not only promote safety and awareness to residents but also practice it. Owners and operators should follow local, state, and federal regulations to ensure the safety of their facilities and to minimize drowning and injuries that can otherwise turn a pool party into a tragic event.

Industry experts with Property Management Insider urge apartment complex owners and managers to create a safe pool and spa environment for residents by following the below safety tips:

Have the Appropriate Equipment

  • Fences or barriers – a physical obstacle that surrounds an outdoor pool or spa so that access to the water is limited to adults – should be installed and checked for reliability. A successful pool barrier prevents a child from getting over, under or through it to gain access to the pool or spa.
  • The pool or spa should be checked to ensure compliance with federal and local laws and regulations.
  • Safety drain covers compliant with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act should be in place.
  • Pool and spa pumps should be checked to ensure proper operation.
  • Life-saving equipment such as life rings and reaching poles should be easily accessible.

Ask Yourself

  • Are there water safety rules posted in a visible area for adults and children to review?
  • If your property has no lifeguard, does your staff periodically monitor the pool or spa when it’s in heavy use or during special events?
  • Do you recommend to residents who use the pool to bring their cell phone in case of emergency?

Train Your Staff in Water Safety

  • Property staff members should be trained and certified in first aid and emergency response.
  • Staff members should know how to perform CPR on children and adults. Training should be regularly updated.
  • Understanding the basics of life-saving – for any staff member on site – can mean the difference between life and death during a pool emergency.

Read more swimming pool safety tips at Property Management Insider.

Apartment Resident Rights

Apartment residents and guests have a right to be safe and secure while on the premises. By law, apartment owners and management companies have a duty to protect residents from any foreseeable harm. Should a property owner fail in this duty, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or deaths which occur as a consequence.

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Apartment owners have a responsibility to protect their residents from violent crime, sexual assault, and foreseeable harm. Unfortunately, owners all too often fail to implement and/or maintain critical security measures, leaving residents and their guests vulnerable. As such, the Tampa Police Department urges tenants to take safety precautions to protect themselves and their families from becoming victims.

TPD Apartment Safety Tips

  • Always lock your apartment door, windows and patio doors when you leave and before you go to bed. Use a drop bar to secure sliding glass doors.
  • Report lost keys, burned-out lights, non-functional locks or doors, and broken windows to the resident manager and request they be replaced immediately.
  • Get permission to install a deadbolt lock or peephole.
  • Leave a tv, radio or light on when you go out — or set up a timer.
  • Get to know your neighbors so you’ll know if someone doesn’t belong.
  • Have your keys ready as you approach your car and apartment door. Never hide spare keys.
  • Never prop open entrance doors and leave them unattended.
  • Do not linger alone in common areas.
  • Make sure valuables are locked out of sight in your parked vehicle.

Visit the TPD site for a complete list of apartment safety tips.

Victims of Apartment Violence: Know Your Rights

Apartment residents and guests have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By law, property owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. Should an apartment complex owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

You Deserve Justice. We Can Help.

The Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims and families of negligent apartment security. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we offer our legal assistance, if desired. 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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