At The Simon Law Firm, cases become causes, and getting justice for sexual assault victims is now among them.

Specifically, getting justice for victims who were assaulted in places where it should have been prevented.

An Illinois jury recently awarded a sexual assault victim represented by The Simon Law Firm $535 million. The firm was able to prove the behavioral health center where she was housed failed to keep her safe from a known violent offender.

She was 13.

Her rapist was 16.

The facility put her in a room right next to him and failed to have proper staffing to ensure safe monitoring.

Places including hospitals, institutions, rideshares, hotels, schools, parking and garages should all have protocols in place to keep people safe from sexual assaults.

Those protocols should not only exist, but actually be followed.

Many business locations and public areas have a responsibility to create a secure environment, and if they have failed, and a sexual assault occurs, it could be classified as a negligent security injury.

If the assault, abuse, or rape occurred in a facility like a hospital, parking garage, Uber, school, or other location you should reasonably be able to feel safe, The Simon Law Firm works to gather all the necessary evidence to prove cases and win settlements victims deserve to help them take their lives back.

“Unfortunately, sexual assaults do happen in the hospital setting all the time,” said Attorney Johnny M. Simon. “The hospital has a duty and an obligation to maintain the integrity of your body.

“You are in their care and custody and they have an obligation to monitor, to supervise, to staff and hire in a manner to ensure sexual assaults do not occur.”

Sexual assault refers to any kind of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the victim’s explicit consent. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), sexual assault can include: Attempted rape, Unwanted fondling or sexual touching, Forced performance of sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetration of the abuser’s body, Rape, or penetration of the victim’s body.

Negligent security injuries occur if someone is severely injured or killed because of the property owner’s inadequate security measures. These inadequate measures can result in various violent acts, including sexual assault, abuse, and rape.

The property owner may not be held liable in certain unexpected acts, but the presence of unsafe conditions can result in punishment.

Dangerous conditions that could result in a sexual assault include: Broken or defective doors, locks, fences, or gates, Failure to properly assess employees, including security officers, or visitors, Failure to remove intoxicated or violent customers, visitors, or guests, Improperly secured exits and entrances, Inadequate crowd-control, Unusable emergency call boxes, Insufficient lighting, Lack of security cameras, No security guards or improperly trained guards.

Many commercial properties and businesses could be held liable for negligent security, including: Amusement parks, Apartment complexes or condos, Banks and ATM kiosks, Bars and clubs, Public transportation locations, Child care facilities, Churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions, Gas stations, Gyms and sports facilities, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Hotels and motels, Movie theaters, Office buildings, Airports, Parking garages, Property parking lots, Restaurants, Higher education campuses (colleges, universities), Schools, Shopping centers, and Retail stores.

The Simon Law Firm has the resources and experience in handling these cases and to take on the largest institutions in the country.

The attorneys who work at The Simon Law Firm are also all trial attorneys.

What institutions and wrongdoers fear more than anything is having to answer to 12 people.

A jury.

Simon Law Firm attorneys aren’t afraid to take this cause to the courtroom.