Dealing With a College Campus Murder
If you are sadly dealing with the murder of your loved one, we want to first express our deepest condolences. We are so sorry for this terrible event and want to help you through it.
Making matters worse, terrible deaths of a family member like this can take a toll financially, emotionally and physically. If your loved one was murdered on a college campus, you may be wondering where to turn. Who is liable for the incident? Can you go after the college where the murder occurred? It’s possible depending on the state and the circumstance.
A Broad Stance
In many cases, a college can’t be held liable for the actions of a third party on their campus. If someone enters a college campus and commits murder, it’s not as if the college officials could have known in most cases. Of course, this is a broad stance taken on a situation that is unique for each individual circumstance. There could be some exceptions, depending on your particular situation.
Evidence That Shows Neglect
There have been some recent cases in which the college was negligent in protecting a student who ended up murdered. For example, one student reported a stalker to campus police multiple times. She indicated her fear, she indicated the abuse she endured and she indicated how the problem was escalating. She was told campus police couldn’t do anything unless the situation was worse.
After many reports and the campus police doing nothing, she wound up murdered by the person she had been reporting. Her parents then decided to file a lawsuit against the university because it neglected to protect their daughter when she was clearly in distress.
If your case is similar to this example, it’s possible you would have the evidence that shows enough neglect for you to hold the college campus liable for your loved one’s murder. Keep in mind the court may not agree, and your claim could get tossed out.
What You Should Do
For a legal consultation with a personal injury lawyer, call 434-817-3100
Regardless of the location of your loved one’s murder, you should always contact an attorney for help. Nobody should get away with murder, and with a qualified attorney by your side, you can work toward getting the responsible party behind bars. If the murder took place on a college campus, your attorney can begin to collect evidence that would show the college officials, campus police or other school personnel had a responsibility to protect the deceased. The lawyer can then work with local prosecutors to present evidence to make your case stronger.
In addition, a wrongful death attorney can help build a civil wrongful death claim against responsible parties. This can include a claim for the various damages suffered by family members as set forth under Virginia law at Va. Code sec. 8.01-52.
Getting Started Today
Murder is horrifically ugly and it’s not something you should have to deal with on your own. Contact a wrongful death attorney today if your loved one was killed at the hands of another person on a college campus so you can get started with a strong case.
Contact us today for a free consultation with a wrongful death lawyer.
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