In a recent decision by the Indiana Court of Appeals, it was determined that a hotel owner was liable for the murder of a hotel guest at the hands of a former hotel employee. In its holding in Santelli v. Rahmatullah, Indiana’s Court of Appeals has made it more important than ever for a landowner to take proper precautions in protecting those who use his premises. The reasoning for this holding was more troubling, as the Court of Appeals seemed to rely upon the need to compensate the victim rather than the legal liability of the landowner in coming to its decision.
In practical terms, this decision should be viewed as a warning to Indiana business owners and landowners to take adequate measures to protect those people who may be on their premises…and to be fully insured in case such a person is injured as a result of a crime committed on those premises. For more information, please contact any of the attorneys in our Litigation & Trial Services group.
