Premises liability is a rather vague term which serves as a catch-all for many types of events unrelated to security including cases involving structural design flaws, unsafe conditions, environmental hazards, improper traffic patterns and a wide range of other issues unrelated to security per se.

Mr. Schmedlen's expertise on premises liability matters relates exclusively to cases where security is an issue.

In many cases, security related premises liability matters involve issues such as physical security standards and generally accepted security practices. In addition to any existing standards, crime statistics, event history, community standards and specific risk considerations play a part in determining whether an adverse event was foreseeable.

Foreseeability, of course, is usually the key in these issues. Public sector law enforcement is unable to guarantee the protection of citizens on public property. (In fact only 12% - 18% of the crimes occurring in the U.S. are ever cleared.) In most cases although a private sector entity cannot be held to a higher standard, such entities are expected to respond reasonably and responsibly to conditions which are known or should be known.

Generally speaking, businesses which can document a proactive approach to security and have responded to increased levels of exposure fare better with juries than those who have taken a more informal or cavalier approach.

Please scroll down to view security expert witness premises liability case titles.

* Some of these cases are also counted under more precise headings.

SECURITY EXPERT WITNESS LITIGATION CASE HISTORY
PREMISES LIABILITY SECURITY

Plaintiff identification eliminated at request of client v
Thomas Krueger, Briarwood Taubman Company & Bivouac Automotive Corporation
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Washtenaw County, Michigan

Dawn Marie Whitaker v
Sheller Globe Corp. & Pinkertons, Inc.
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
St. Joseph County, Michigan

Jean Frantz v
Per Mar, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Cook County, Illinois

Agnes Taylor v
Porcupine Security & Charter Oaks ¹
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Genesee County, Michigan

Agnes Taylor v
Porcupine Security & Charter Oaks ¹
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Genesee County, Michigan

Christine M. Neff, William J. Neff and Alexis N. Neff v
Richard & Jane Miller d/b/a Harbor Towne Apartments
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Berrien County, Michigan

Marilyn Cohen v
Hartman & Tyner d/b/a Whethersfield Apartments
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Oakland County, Michigan

Roy Arms (Deceased)
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Elizabeth Nightengale v
Meadows Apartments
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Washtenaw County, Michigan

Dina S. Glessner v
Patrick Henry Apartments
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Oakland County, Michigan

Tyra Mattrox-Johnson v
Candice Paff
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Wayne County, Michigan

Jane Doe v
Brian Kerr, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Larry J. Rogers v
Bargas, Holland Hospitality, Inc. d/b/a Holiday Inn
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Ottawa County, Michigan

Steven Krass (Dec'd) v.
Tri County Security et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Wayne County, Michigan

The Clara Floe Estate v
Healthquest
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Beadle County, South Dakota

Amanda Bell & Patricia Pansey v
Georgetown Apartments
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Oakland County, Michigan

Gregory D. Eickhoff, Jr.v
D.T.T. (Granada Bar) and Robert F. Henley
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Delta County, Michigan

Deanna Ray v
City of Detroit et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Wayne County, Michigan

Cole v
Pleasure Island
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Muskegon County, Michigan

Bernadine Matthews v
Stanley Smith Security
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Richard W. Eva & Sophia Maria Eva v
Cedar Lodge, Inc., Howard Johnson International Inc., et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Ingham County, Michigan

Maxwell v
Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Hamilton County, Ohio

Marra et al v
Burger King Corporation
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Macomb County, Michigan

Willard Blackmon v
Cash's Quik Chek Food Mart et al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Desha County, Arkansas

Albert Norwood, Personal Representative of Justine Alan Norwood (Deceased) v
Mark Howell, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Ingham County, Michigan

Cleveland Hickmon, et al v
Stone City et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Will County, Illinois

Crystal Kahn, et al v
Jupiter Western, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Castle County, Delaware

Jason Green v
Omaha/Douglas Building Commission, City of Omaha, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
United States District Court of the District of Nebraska

Dan Hutchinson v
Black Squirrel Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a The Black Squirrel
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
St. Joseph County, Michigan

Cassie M. Poe, Personal Rep. for the Estate of Rahmal Cortez Poe, Sr., Deceased v
Rite Aide of Michigan
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Wayne County, Michigan

Barakat v
HPI Illinois (Ramada Inn O'Hare)
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Cook County, Illinois

Christine Pascaris v
Henry Ford Medical Center
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Wayne County, Michigan

Carolyn Bojalad v
Parliment Enterprises, Ltd., et al ²
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Cook County, Illinois

Papke v
Howe Military School et al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
LaGrangeCounty, Indiana

Carolyn M. Dale v
Parliment Enterprises, Ltd., et al ²
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Cook County, Illinois

Ward v
Platinum Sports
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Wayne County, Michigan

Jane Doe v
Equity Properties
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Dade County, Florida

Kim & Ronald Holbrook v
300 Bowl Lounge, Inc.
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Oakland County, Michigan

Estate of Travis Shelton v
Kroger Stores, Inc & William Davis & Associates Security Services, Inc.
Premises liability security expert witness for one defendant
Oakland County, Michigan

Estate of Timothy Dale Harmer, Deceased v
McKinley Associates, a Michigan Corporation
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Wayne County, Michigan

Brian Bultema v
Crystal Mountain, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Susan Clare and Donald Berry v
Ernie's Lounge, Kings Mill Inn, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Macomb County, Michigan

Durrant, Herren, Gormoll v
Novi Meadows
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Oakland County, Michigan

2005 Shooting Event
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Oakland County, Michigan

Lena Ellis v
Atlantis Development Group, Ltd., et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Ingham County, Michigan

Jaclyn Fedak v
Garretson Security & Inverstigations, et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Brooke County, West Virginia

Sircar Brown, a minor, et al v
OK Rentals, Inc., et al
Premises liability security expert witness for defendant
Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

J.L.M. v
H & H Development Inc., et al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Vigo County, Indiana

Judith Stewart v
Red Lion Hotel Salem, et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for defense
Multnomah County, Oregon

Jeffrey Maeser v (Not yet in litigation)
Windsor Street Grill (not yet in litigation)
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Dane County, Wisconsin

Brian McVay v
Sheetz, Incorporated
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Ohio County, West Virginia

Alex Maurer v
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Marion County, Indiana

Gregory Tadman v
Mountain View Co-op, et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Cascade County, Montana

Stevonne Wilson v
Pavilion Apartments, et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Newark, New Jersey

Kozlowski v
The Foundation Group et, al
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Cook County, Illinois

Steve Blair and Joan Blair v
TLI, LLC and John Doe, et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Jackson County, Missouri

Christopher Orozco v
Mormax, Inc. d/b/a Marley's
Premises liability security expert witness for plaintiff
Columbia County, Wisconsin

Tom Stoffel, Individually and Next Friend to minor female, v
Waste Management of Illinois, Inc., et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for defense
DuPage County, Illinois

Josh Redman v
Cloud 9, et al.
Premises liability security expert witness for defense
King County, Washington

1. The original client settled the case at Mr. Schmedlen’s deposition. A second defendant then employed Mr. Schmedlen as his expert witness on this same case.

2. Separate cases relating to same apartment building.

An attachment to Mr. Schmedlen's curriculum vitae identifies the clients in each of these matters and contains a recap of each of the cases.

Questions on this subject? Write Roger H. Schmedlen, CPP, CFE, CII, MIPI

Premises Liability Security Expert Witness travel time is capped as follows on litigation cases:
3 hours round trip: Illinois (Northeast Illinois including Chicago IL), Indiana (North of Muncie IN), Michigan (All of Michigan except MI Upper Peninsula), Ohio (Columbus OH and Northern OH)
4 hours round trip: Delaware (All of DE), District of Columbia (Metropolitan Washington DC area), Florida (Orlando FL south including Florida keys), Illinois (All of IL except, Northeast Illinois, Chicago IL), Indiana (South of Muncie IN), Iowa (All of IA east of Council Bluffs IA), Kansas (Eastern KS area including Kansas City KS), Kentucky (All of KY), Maryland (All of MD), Michigan (Central and Eastern Upper Peninsula, MI), Minnesota (East of Detroit Lakes MN), Missouri (All of MO), New Jersey (All of NJ), New York (All of NY including NYC), North Carolina (West of Raleigh Durham NC metro area), Ohio (Southern OH, south of Columbus OH), Oregon (Coastal OR areas including Portland OR), Pennsylvania (All of PA), South Carolina (Greenville SC Spartanburg SC area), Tennessee (All of TN), Virginia (Western VA west of Richmond VA), Washington (Coastal WA cities), West Virginia (All of WV), Wisconsin (All of WI)
5 hours round trip: Alabama (All of AL), Arkansas (All of AK), Arizona (Southern half of AZ south of Prescott AZ to Nogales AZ and including the Phoenix AZ and Tucson AZ areas), Arizona (Northwest AZ including Lake Mead, AZ and Las Vegas, NV areas), California (Western CA coastal cities regions and Southern California including Los Angeles CA, Orange County CA and northwestern regions such as San Francisco CA), Colorado (Boulder CA and Denver CA areas), Connecticut (All of CT), Florida (North of Orlando FL metro area, Florida Panhandle and of of FL in Central Time Zone), Georgia (All of GA including Atlanta GA), Iowa (All of IA west of Council Bluffs IA), Kansas (Most of KS west of Kansas City KS), Louisiana (All of LA), Maine (All of ME), Massachusetts (All of MA), Michigan (Western Upper Peninsula MI), Minnesota (West of Detroit Lakes MN), Mississippi (All of MS), Nebraska (All of NE east of CO), Nevada (Extreme southern NV including Las Vegas NV region), New Hampshire (All of NH), North Carolina (Raleigh Durham NC east), North Dakota (East of Minot ND), Oklahoma (All of OK), Rhode Island (All off RI), South Carolina (All of SC except the Greenville SC Spartanburg SC area), South Dakota (East of Rapid City SD), Texas (Northeast TX including Dallas Fort Worth TX), Vermont (All of VT), Virginia (Eastern VA including Richmond VA)
6 hours round trip: Arizona (Northern half of AZ), California (Eastern CA north of Death Valley CA area), Colorado (All of CO except for Boulder CA and Denver CA areas), Idaho (All of ID), Montana (All of MT), Nebraska (Western NE), Nevada (All of NV except extreme south Las Vegas NV region), New Mexico (All of NM), North Dakota (Minot ND and west), Oregon (Eastern 3/4 of OR), South Dakota (Rapid City SD and west), Texas (Northeast TX including Dallas Fort Worth TX), Utah (All of UT), Washington (All of WA except coastal WA cities), Wyoming (All of WY)
Negotiable: Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

PREMISES LIABILITY EXPERT SECURITY EXPERT WITNESS

PREMISES LIABILITY EXPERT
SECURITY EXPERT WITNESS