Inadequate Security/Negligent Security Cases:

Jeff Peraldo and co-counsel represented a woman who was attacked and brutally beaten by a maintenance worker employed by the owner of the apartment complex at which the woman was residing. The worker had used a master key to enter the woman's apartment while she was sleeping. The apartment complex had not provided its residents with any type of secondary locking devices, such as deadbolts or chains, that would prevent access into its apartments by persons using pass keys. The apartment owners denied liability and litigation was necessary. After extensive discovery and the use of a premier apartment security expert, the case settled at mediation for $1.3 million.

Jeff Peraldo represented two teenagers who were shot and severely injured during an attack on an arcade/gameroom located in a strip shopping center. The case investigation showed the shopping center and gameroom had been the location of numerous crimes of violence prior to the injuries to the clients. The owner of the shopping center and the owner of the gameroom both denied liability and litigation was necessary. A retained shopping center security expert determined the shopping center was negligent in its maintenance of its property at the time the clients were attacked by not having functioning parking lot lighting and periodic security guard patrols. The expert determined the owner of the gameroom was negligent in not taking steps to curtail and control the acts of violence then occurring in the game room. The court entered judgment against the owner of the gameroom for an amount in excess of $2 million. The cases against the owner of the shopping center later settled for a confidential amount.

Jeff Peraldo and co-counsel represented a young man who was shot and paralyzed while dining at an all-night fast food type restaurant. The owners of the restaurant denied liability and litigation was necessary. An extensive case analysis revealed the restaurant had been the location of numerous crimes of violence and the owners had received complaints concerning customer safety by a number of people, including its own employees. A retained security expert determined that the restaurant had failed to provide adequate security at the time the client was shot. The case settled on the eve of trial for a confidential amount.

Jeff Peraldo represented a young female college student who had been attacked and raped at her college rental home. The owners denied liability and litigation was necessary. Extensive discovery, case investigation and the use of a premier apartment/rental home security expert showed the owners had not provided the home with adequate lighting or door and window locks. The case settled before trial for a confidential amount.

Jeff Peraldo represented a young immigrant woman who had been raped repeatedly at work, during the third shift, by her supervisor. The supervisor told the young lady "this is how to get ahead in America." After the client reported the attacks to her pastor, the supervisor was arrested and eventually convicted of second degree rape. The employer denied the acts occurred, claimed that even if the acts had occurred they were consensual and also denied any liability for the supervisor's actions. After extensive discovery, the case was settled at mediation for a confidential amount.

Jeff Peraldo represented the wife of a police officer who had been kidnaped and sexually assaulted as she was leaving a shopping mall. The mall owner denied liability and litigation was necessary. A retained mall security expert determined the mall had failed to provide adequate security in the form of patrolling security guards at the time the client was attacked. The case settled for a confidential amount.

Jeff Peraldo represented the estate of a young man who had been shot and killed while staying at a motel. The young man had left his room in the middle of the night to use a drink machine and ice machine located near the pool of the motel. At that time, the pool area was regularly being used by a group of local youths as a gathering place and police and other reports indicated such use had created problems for the motel. The motel owner denied liability and litigation was necessary. A retained motel security expert determined that the motel was negligent in its maintenance of its property at the time the decedent was attacked. The case settled for a confidential amount.


These case result descriptions are for informational purposes only. These reported results are not to be considered as any kind of guarantee or prediction of outcome in any other case, regardless of similar facts. Every case is different and a favorable result in one case is not a guarantee or indication of a similar result in any other case.

« Back to Case Results