Criminal or harmful acts, no duty of business to guard against, when
A business is not responsible for crimes or harmful acts that happen on its property — unless the business already knew (or had good reason to think) that something bad was about to happen in a specific spot, and there was enough time to stop it. If a business does have that responsibility and gets sued anyway, it has some defenses: it put reasonable security in place, the hurt person was trespassing or committing a crime, or the incident happened while the business was closed. Also, if a business adds new security after something bad happens, that fact cannot be used against it in court.
537.787. Criminal or harmful acts, no duty of business to guard against, when — duty, defenses. — 1. There is no duty upon a business to guard against criminal acts or harmful acts on the unless the business knows or has reason to know that such acts are being committed or are reasonably likely to be committed in a particular area of the premises and sufficient time exists to prevent such crime or injury. In the absence of such a duty, no shall lie against a business for injuries by a person in connection with criminal acts or harmful acts committed by another person on the premises.
2. If a duty is found to exist under 1 of this section, the following affirmative defenses shall apply in any civil action for damages against a business for injuries sustained by a person in connection with criminal acts or harmful acts committed by another person on the premises:
(1) The business has implemented ;
(2) The was on the premises and was:
(a) A ;
(b) Attempting to commit a ; or
(c) Engaged in the of a felony;
(3) The criminal acts or harmful acts occurred while the business was closed to the public.
3. Evidence of subsequent taken by the business to provide protection to persons on the premises shall not be to show or to establish the of any measures.
4. Nothing in this section shall be to create or increase the of a business and does not affect any from or defenses to liability established under state law or available under to which a business may be entitled.
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Source & history notes
(L. 2018 S.B. 608)
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