Should Security Officers Sue Their Attackers
Charlotte NC 27 2018 In 2017, there was a record 107,000 reported assaults against security officers which resulted in countless serious injuries that left many private officers needing long term medical care, rehabilitation and weeks without a pay check.
115 other security officers were killed on duty.
Many of those injured in 2017 as in years past suffered vicious attacks with knifes, motor vehicles, blunt force weapons, firearms and physical assaults.
Paul Robertson of San Francisco, Kevin Junce of Oklahoma and Sylvia DeSoto of New York City are just three of the hundreds who were left with permanent injuries, scaring and fear.
They are just the beginning of the many security officer victims who suffered monetary losses when their paychecks stopped and their employers did not have the proper Workers Compensation insurance to pay for their medical bills and loss wages.
Alone, injured, jobless and holding a mounting stack of medical bills, security officers seldom have anyone to turn to or anyplace that they can go for assistance.
While some states do offer a Victim’s Assistance Program, some security officers are sometimes too proud to apply or are unaware of the benefits.
Others go the Unemployment Compensation route which can often take more than thirty days.
As attacks and injuries to law enforcement continues to also reach record highs, officers are fighting back by suing their attackers. Some have even filed lawsuits against their agencies.
With so many security officers being assaulted, injured and killed while in the performance of the duty, should the industry begin looking to the courts as another avenue of punishment and retribution against the attackers.
Some industry leaders have voiced their opinions over the last few years and suggested that it would not be good for business or for the security firm or client employing the injured security officer.
Private Officer International conferred with attorneys in Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina in 2016 and their advice was to always have legal representation when either the employer does not have proper insurance to cover medical expenses and loss wages or when the assault, attack or injury was so egregious that the assailant needs to prosecuted to the fullest extent of the criminal justice system including being held financially responsible for damages, injuries, scaring, long term or permanent medical treatment or disabilities.
Our recommendations are:
Get Aggressive in Your Own Defense
Security officers should consider taking civil action on their own behalf in cases where:
- They are injured in accidents where others are at fault.
2. They are injured by the deliberate actions of others.
3. They are slandered by people making false complaints, when those complaints can be shown to be false by available evidence and recordings.
4. They are refused service, or their food is tampered with because they are security officers.
5. Officers are killed or injured in the line of duty or after Political Action groups’/ leaders’ incendiary words incite people to dangerous actions.
Private security officers today regularly face all of the dangers of any law enforcement and thus should hold their attackers accountable both criminally and civilly.
