Three reporters and an investigations editor from the AJC spent more than a year and a half investigating neglected apartment complexes across the Atlanta metro area. What they found were residents trapped in horrifyingly unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Serious crime is rampant and often left unchecked. Accidental fires from decayed infrastructure sent children to the...

According to an in-depth AJC investigation earlier this year, tens of thousands of residents in many apartment complexes across Atlanta are at risk of violence at any given moment. Incentivized by corrupt and callous business models, negligent property owners and investors have let many apartment complexes fall into ruin. They raise rent while performing only...

People rent apartments so they can have shelter and a place to raise their families. They shouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt. But sadly, many apartment complexes are scenes of violent crimes. There have been shootings at apartment complexes in Atlanta, Decatur, Lilburn, Riverdale, East Point, Griffin, and other communities in Georgia. Families are...

Sexual assault, rape, and other sex crimes are not limited to personal dwellings or social gatherings. They can happen anywhere, at any time. Because of this, property owners are supposed to do everything reasonable to secure their locations. This legal obligation ensures that businesses implement safety measures to protect customers, tenants, and other lawful people...

Hotel owners have a legal responsibility to ensure their premises are equipped with reasonable security measures. Creating a secure environment may include practices such as installing additional security cameras, locking side and back doors at all times, training hotel staff to protect guests’ information, and keeping the parking lot well-lit at night. When a hotel...

Shooting victims or the surviving relatives have the right to file a negligent security claim if they suspect a business failed to provide adequate security to prevent the attack from happening. This type of claim allows injured victims to seek compensation for their suffering after the attack. Investigating a negligent security claim is not easy,...

The following is an excerpt from Gary Martin Hays' book The Authority on Inadequate/Negligent Security Claims in Georgia. If you have questions regarding negligent security, contact us at 770-934-8000. In an inadequate/negligent security claim, victims don't just have to cope with the physical and monetary damages inflicted upon them. The greatest harm that may be...

Gun violence often leaves its victims with severe or fatal injuries. Those who survive a shooting are left with emotional trauma and medical costs that could haunt them for years. But what if these catastrophic injuries could have been prevented in the first place? If you have questions about determining liability after a gun-related accident...