Reasons To Sue Your College After An Assault In Your Dorm

Students live in college campus dorms in order to be close to their classrooms and extra-curricular activities, as well as to be part of an exciting environment for students who study and live together. Unfortunately, many students are assaulted on campuses each year by people from outside of the college community, and some of these attacks take place in their dorms. 

If you've been through such an ordeal, you shouldn't hesitate to hire an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases. While the bulk of the blame sits with the offender, the college itself may have played a negligent role in the assault. Here are some reasons that your personal injury lawyer may advocate suing the college.

The Dorm's Security Measures Were Inadequate

As a college student who lives on campus, you have a right to be safe in your dorm. However, it's possible that the dorm's security measures were inadequate to effectively protect you. There are many different scenarios in which this could be true. For example, the perpetrator could have climbed into a ground-floor window that was broken and didn't close properly or could have even made his way into your room because your door lock was faulty. Such details are easy to prove in a lawsuit and can help your case to be successful.

The Security Response Was Inadequate

After you were assaulted, you likely called the college police to report the incident. It's possible that one or more officers responded to you right away and also began to search for the suspect, but you may have faced a situation in which the response was inadequate. Perhaps it took a long time for the officers to arrive at your dorm and, within this time, the suspect easily escaped. In this case, you'd have gone through significant psychological suffering as you wondered whether the perpetrator might return to cause you more harm.

The College Failed To Respond To Past Incidents

It's entirely possible that your assault wasn't the first to occur in your dorm, and your attorney's investigators will dig into any history that is present. If previous assaults had taken place, the college had a responsibility to make improvements as a response. For example, it perhaps should have arranged for more security patrols, better external lighting, and other such measures. In the event of the college failing to respond in this manner, your personal injury suit will get even stronger.


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