Lack of Security in Mobile Home and RV Parks – Sexual Assault and Assault and Battery

Do you and your family live in a mobile home park or RV park? Depending on the length of time that you have lived at a park, you may be familiar with the way that mobile home parks and RV parks operate. Usually, the park is owned by one party, who either lives on-site or has a manager living on site. Regardless of the specific arrangement, there is typically always someone on the property to keep an eye on things.

Was your mobile home park or RV park recently sold? If so, it might have been sold to a real estate investment trust (REIT). An REIT owns or finances real estate – specifically, income-producing real estate. REITs lease their available spaces and collect rent; this allows REITs to generate income to pay their shareholders. REITs go after the properties that could generate the most income. With recent changes in the world, the demand for RV parks and mobile home parks has surged; this has made these parks the newest targets of REITs. Because the purpose of REITs is simply to generate and maximize income from mobile home parks and RV parks, REITs can fail to manage the parks effectively.

As mentioned above, an REIT’s priority is to increase the income generated by the property. When an REIT takes control of a park, they will likely instill either a local or regional manager; this manager will essentially ensure that rents are being paid on time to keep income flowing for shareholders. Because the financial aspect of managing RV and mobile home parks is prioritized, other aspects of managing parks are neglected. Specifically, the safety aspect.

The managers that handle the parks owned by REITs are often unqualified for the job; they are inexperienced in handling the issues common to mobile home parks and RV parks. Because of their lack of experience, managers often fail to identify and address many of the hazards that could put residents and visitors at risk of suffering harm.

Although a number of incidents can occur at mobile home parks and RV parks, some of the most devastating include assault and battery as well as sexual assault. Unfortunately, these incidents often occur due to a lack of security. Were you attacked in a mobile home park or RV park? If you were the victim of assault and battery or sexual assault, you might have grounds to take legal action. Without a doubt, you could take action against the individual whom attacked you; however, you could also take legal action against the mobile home park or RV park owner for failing to keep you safe while on the premises.

Are you interested in learning more about your right to take legal action after being a victim of sexual assault or assault and battery associated with inefficient security at a mobile home park or RV park? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible. You can trust the sexual assault and assault and battery lawyers at Downtown L.A. Law Group to handle your claim and lead you towards a successful claim outcome.

At Downtown L.A. Law Group, our lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – always fighting for the rights of our clients. Although pursuing a claim will not reverse the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, recovering the compensation that you are owed could help you move forward from such a traumatic time in your life. If you would like to explore your legal options and learn more about your right to sue, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible.

Residents and Guests/Visitors are Owed a Duty of Care

Mobile home park and RV park owners owe their residents and their visitors a duty of care. Specifically, mobile home and RV park owners have the duty to ensure that their entire premises are free of any dangerous conditions that could lead to harm. Incidents of assault and battery or sexual assault are, without a doubt, associated with the actions of the attacker; the actions (or inaction) of park owners and managers can contribute to these incidents.

The Hazards that Could Lead to Assault

Without a doubt, certain conditions, including low visibility, poorly lit areas, overgrown trees/brushes, and secluded walkways, among others, can facilitate dangerous attacks. However, even if these conditions exist, appropriate security in the mobile home park or RV park could significantly reduce the possibility of dangerous instances of sexual assault and assault and battery.

However, parks often do not have the security necessary to reduce the risk of attacks; rather, they face the following issues relating to security:

• No control over entry to the park
• No monitoring (security vehicles making routine rounds throughout the park)
• No surveillance cameras throughout the park
• Untrained/inexperienced security guards
• Complete lack of security

Unfortunately, a sexual assault or incident of assault and battery could occur in a matter of seconds – which is enough to change a victim’s life forever.

How Can Effective Security Reduce Personal Attacks?

If a mobile home park or RV park has effective security, the risk associated with personal attacks – including incidents of sexual assault and assault and battery – could reduce. Effective security could ensure that attacks are prevented (or quickly address if they occur). How can effective security prevent attacks?

Consider some of the following points:

• Security can prevent the entrance of suspicious parties into the park
• Security can identify suspicious activity within the park and remove parties that represent a threat to the safety of others
• Security can monitor surveillance cameras to identify dangerous situations
• Security can respond to reports of attacks and/or attempted attacks

Liability in Cases of Assault Within a Mobile Home or RV Park

Were you harmed after experiencing a sexual assault or assault and battery? Was the incident directly associated with a lack of security at the mobile home park or RV park? If so, you might have grounds to take legal action against the park owners, As previously mentioned, park residents and guests/visitors are owed a duty of care while on the premises. Park owners have the duty to promote the safety of their residents and guests/visitors. If they breach their duty of care, they can be liable for all the harm that their residents/guests suffer. This means that you might have grounds to sue the park owners for the role that the lack of security in the park had in the harm that suffered. Your right to sue will be based on the concept of premise liability. For more information on the concept of premise liability and your right to sue, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible.

Pursuing a Claim and Recovering Compensation

Based on the details surrounding your particular situation, you might have grounds to sue for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered after an instance of sexual assault or assault and battery, you might be eligible to recover compensation for the harm resulting from the incident. Some of the types of compensation that might be available for recovery could include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial costs
• Property damage
• Punitive damages

As mentioned above, the compensation that you are eligible to recover will strictly depend on the details surrounding your claim; therefore, the expert opinion of an assault attorney is essential to better understand the compensation that you could be eligible to receive. For more information about the type and amount of compensation that you could be awarded upon reaching a successful claim outcome, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our lawyers as soon as possible. Our lawyers will help you recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim.

What Should Victims Do?

If you or a member of your family suffered sexual assault or assault and battery, you might have grounds to pursue a claim. Although you might not be immediately interested in pursuing a claim, you should follow the steps listed below to facilitate the legal process whenever you decide to sue:

• Take photos of the physical harm that you suffered
• Take photos of the place in which the incident occurred
• Seek medical attention immediately
• If you were raped, get a rape kit done
• File a report with the authorities immediately
• File a written report with the mobile home park or RV park managers/owners (request a copy of the report for future reference)
• Speak to any witnesses that were present at the time of the incident
• Take note of any surveillance cameras that might have captured the incident (gather video footage)
• Gather all medical records associated with the harm suffered in the incident
• Seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible

If you would like to learn more about the steps that you should follow after being attacked at a mobile home park or RV park, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers are ready to guide you every step of the way.