Premises Liability Lawyer Savannah, GA

Were you the victim of a crime on someone else’s property in Savannah, GA?

At Deitch + Rogers, we provide plaintiff-focused premises liability representation and prepare every case with experience and dedication.

If you were attacked at a Savannah apartment complex, hotel, or business, the owner’s insurance company will decide what to offer based on the strength of your proof. Our Savannah, GA premises liability lawyer prepares each claim for trial from the first day.

Premises liability has been the center of our practice for more than 40 years. We represent the injured person in every case, and our claims arise from violent crime and inadequate security. Schedule a free consultation to have your case reviewed by attorneys who try these cases.

Premises Liability Lawyer Savannah, GA

A premises liability lawyer holds property owners responsible when unsafe conditions on their property cause an injury. Our premises liability work is limited to violent crime. We represent people who were shot, assaulted, or sexually attacked on property where the owner failed to provide reasonable security. The claim is a civil lawsuit against the owner, the manager, or the security company, and it is separate from the criminal case against the attacker. A premises liability attorney at our firm also deals with the owner’s insurer on the client’s behalf.

Owner-occupied homes make up 45.4% of the occupied housing in Savannah, according to Census Bureau data. More than half of the city’s households rent. A renter’s safety at home depends on a landlord’s decisions about locks, lighting, and access to the building. A premises liability attorney examines those decisions when a tenant or guest is attacked.

Types of Premises Liability Cases We Handle in Savannah, GA

Violent crime on private property follows patterns, and the same kinds of properties appear in our cases repeatedly. Our premises liability attorneys handle claims involving the properties and crimes listed below. Each claim depends on what the owner knew about earlier crime and what security the owner provided.

  • Apartment complexes. Landlords control the gates, door locks, lighting, and cameras that protect residents. Georgia law gives landlords responsibilities for tenant safety, and repeated crime at a complex puts the owner on notice. We obtain the property’s police call history and its repair records.
  • Hotels and short-term rentals. Savannah’s hotels, motels, and rental properties serve guests who do not know the area. Poor key control, unmonitored entrances, and unlit parking areas are examples of inadequate hotel security. We request the hotel’s incident reports and guest complaints for the years before the attack. The operator and the property owner can both be defendants.
  • Bars, restaurants, and nightlife venues. Fights and shootings at late-night venues often follow overcrowding and too few door staff. We review the venue’s security plan, its incident logs, and its history of police calls.
  • Gas stations and convenience stores. Stores that stay open overnight are frequent robbery targets. A store with a record of robberies and no added protection for customers can be liable when a customer is shot or stabbed.
  • Parking lots and garages. Owners of retail centers, office buildings, and garages are responsible for lighting and patrols in their parking areas. Earlier attacks in the same lot are strong evidence that the owner should have acted.
  • Shootings. Gunshot victims face surgery, long recoveries, and permanent injuries. We identify the property where the shooting occurred and the security failures that allowed an armed person onto it.
  • Sexual assault. An attacker often reaches a victim through a broken lock, an unsecured door, or a staff member who was never screened. We bring these claims against the owner or employer whose negligence created the opportunity.
  • School crimes. Students are assaulted and abused on campuses and at school events. These claims examine supervision, campus security, and the school’s response to earlier reports.

Why Choose Deitch + Rogers as My Premises Liability Lawyer in Savannah, GA?

Verdicts and Settlements in Premises Liability Cases

Our premises liability and crime victim cases have produced more than $200 million for clients. Insurers consider a law firm’s trial record when they value a claim, and ours includes these results:

  • A premises liability case involving a sexual assault at an apartment complex settled for $15 million.
  • A jury awarded a $5.1 million verdict against a motel operator after a fatal shooting.
  • A negligent security claim against an apartment owner resolved for $2.5 million after a sexual assault.
  • A second apartment security case involving a sexual assault ended in a $1.275 million recovery.
  • A sexual assault victim recovered $850,000 in a premises liability claim.

Each of these cases was prepared for trial, including the ones that settled.

Premises liability cases at our firm are handled on a contingent fee, and you do not pay us during the case. We cover the cost of investigators, court filings, and consulting specialists while the case is pending. Our fee and those costs come out of the settlement or verdict when the case ends.

Founders Who Publish and Try Premises Liability Cases

Gilbert Deitch began practicing law in 1970. He has written articles on premises liability for the Georgia State Bar Journal, TRIAL Magazine, and Verdict Magazine. He is a Georgia Trial Lawyers Association member. Andrew Rogers has practiced since 1988 and holds Georgia’s highest premises liability verdicts for 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019. He has been selected to Super Lawyers and is a DeKalb Bar Association member. Clients who hire a crime victim lawyer in Savannah, GA from our firm are represented by attorneys with extensive trial history.

What Is Important to Understand About a Premises Liability Case?

What Is the Premises Liability Case Timeline?

Georgia law sets a two-year limit for filing most personal injury lawsuits. We do not wait for that deadline to approach before preparing the case.

The investigation comes first. We collect police reports, 911 records, and the property’s security and maintenance files. We also send the owner a written demand to preserve camera footage. A Savannah premises liability lawyer then files the complaint in the Chatham County State Court or the Chatham County Superior Court.

Discovery follows the filing. Each side exchanges documents, and we question the owner, the property manager, and security staff under oath. Cases against corporate owners often involve more than one insurer, which adds time to negotiations. Mediation usually takes place after discovery. We continue to prepare exhibits and witness testimony during settlement talks, so the case is ready for a jury if the insurer’s offer is inadequate.

What Are Important Aspects of a Premises Liability Case?

A premises liability attorney has to prove several things to a jury. We organize the evidence around each one from the start of the case.

  • Earlier crimes on or near the property show that the owner could foresee the attack.
  • Tenant complaints, incident reports, and internal emails show that the owner knew about the danger.
  • Photographs, repair records, and staff testimony show which security measures were missing or broken.
  • Testimony from a security consultant explains how reasonable measures would have prevented the crime.
  • Medical records and the testimony of treating doctors establish the injuries and their lasting effects.

A Savannah premises liability attorney presents this evidence through documents, depositions, and live witnesses at trial.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Premises Liability Cases

A property owner must take reasonable care to protect the people it invites onto its premises. An owner who fails to meet that standard is liable for the injuries that result. A management company or security contractor can share that liability when it controlled the security decisions.

A jury can award the following damages in a premises liability case:

  • Medical expenses cover emergency care, hospitalization, and future treatment.
  • Lost wages and reduced earning capacity replace income the injury has taken away.
  • Counseling and mental health treatment are recoverable costs.
  • Pain and suffering compensates for physical and emotional harm.
  • A wrongful death claim allows the family to recover the full value of the life lost.
  • Punitive damages punish an owner whose conduct showed a conscious disregard for the safety of others.

What Should You Bring to Your Premises Liability Consultation?

A meeting with a premises liability attorney in Savannah, GA is most useful when we can see the documents you already have.

  • The police report or case number identifies the investigating agency and the officers involved.
  • Your lease, hotel receipt, or other proof shows why you were on the property.
  • Medical records and bills document your injuries and the cost of treatment.
  • Photographs of the scene show the lighting, locks, gates, and cameras.
  • Letters or messages from the owner, the manager, or an insurance company tell us what position they have taken.

We charge nothing for the consultation, and what you tell us stays confidential. We will give you our assessment of the claim’s strengths and weaknesses, including how we expect it to be received by a jury.

Reach Out to Deitch + Rogers to Schedule a Consultation

Premises liability lawyers at Deitch + Rogers are available to review your case at no cost. You owe a fee only if we win a recovery for you. Contact us to discuss the crime and the location where it occurred in a free consultation. Our phones are answered around the clock, and we will confirm an appointment promptly.