Woman murdered in workplace: Failure to provide adequate security: Wrongful death: Settlement

Law Reporter, Jun 2003

Locke v. Atlantis Co., Pa., Cuyahoga County C.C.P., No. 441054, Aug. 29, 2002.

Locke, 37, was an account executive with Robert Half International, Inc. (RHI), a temporary staffing service. Account executives often continued working after office hours. While working late one evening, Locke was killed by an individual who had gained unauthorized access to RHI's office suite.

Locke is survived by her parents and two adult sisters. She had earned approximately $45,000 per year.

Locke's father, on behalf of her estate, sued RHI, the building management company, and the firm the management company had hired to provide security.

Suit against RHI alleged failure to take measures to ensure the safety and security of its employees. Plaintiff alleged that RHI employees had alerted management to the problem of unauthorized entry to the suite, and that RHI had purchased locks but had not installed them at the time of the incident.

Suit against the building management company alleged breach of the management contract, under which the company was obligated to provide security services to building tenants. Suit against the security company alleged negligent operations. Plaintiff was prepared to submit evidence that unknown persons were allowed access to upper floors of the building after signing the visitor books with obvious pseudonyms.

The parties settled for $1.1 million. The security company paid $525,000, the building management company paid $325,000, and RHI paid $250,000.

Plaintiff's experts were John Burke, economics, Cleveland, Ohio, and Larry Fennelly, security, Boston, Mass.

Plaintiff's Counsel

* Robert V. Housel, Cleveland, Ohio

Jonathan E. Rosenbaum, Elyria, Ohio