$1.025 Million Negligent Security Settlement, Queens

Raphaelson & Levine secured a $1.025 million settlement for a Queens hotel front desk supervisor who was violently assaulted by a homeless shelter resident when a table was thrown across the lobby, striking her in the head and causing injuries to her head, neck, back, and shoulders.

A Violent Assault at a Queens Hotel Operating as a Shelter

Hotels that operate as homeless shelters take on a dual obligation: they must provide shelter services while also ensuring the safety of their own employees. Our client, a front desk supervisor at a Queens hotel, was working her shift when a resident of the shelter housed in the same building threw a table across the lobby. The table struck her in the head, knocking her to the ground and causing injuries to her head, neck, lumbar spine, left shoulder, and right arm.

There was no security guard in the lobby at the time. No panic button at the front desk. No barrier between the front desk staff and the common area where residents had access to furniture that could be used as a weapon.

Exposing Inadequate Security in a Queens Shelter Hotel

Our premises liability attorneys investigated the hotel's security protocols and found them grossly inadequate for a property housing a shelter population. The hotel was aware that it served individuals with documented behavioral health needs, yet it employed no dedicated security personnel during our client's shift and had no incident response protocol for violent episodes.

Records revealed prior incidents involving aggressive behavior by residents — evidence that the hotel knew violence was a foreseeable risk and did nothing to mitigate it. Our Queens premises liability team retained a security expert who testified that the property fell far below industry standards for facilities housing vulnerable populations alongside workers.

$1.025 Million for a Queens Negligent Security Victim

The $1.025 million settlement compensates our client for her head injury, spinal damage, shoulder and arm injuries, lost wages, and the psychological trauma of being violently assaulted at her place of work — a workplace that should have been made safe by her employer and the property owner.

"This hotel was operating as a shelter. The management knew the population they were housing, and they knew the risks. But when our client showed up to work that day, there was no security guard, no barrier, no panic button — nothing standing between her and a violent assault. A table was thrown at her head, and the hotel had done nothing to prevent it."

— Joseph Taylor, Managing Attorney at Raphaelson & Levine

If you've been assaulted or injured due to inadequate security at a hotel, shelter, or any commercial property in Queens or New York City, our negligent security attorneys have a track record of holding property owners accountable for failing to protect workers and visitors, and are ready to review your claim. Contact us for a free consultation.