Can someone attacked after withdrawing money from an automated teller machine (ATM) hold the bank responsible for the attack?
Under the legal theory of premises liability, customers have sued banks for failing to protect them from assault at ATMs. While there used to be no duty to provide security against such crimes, a duty has been recognized by the law in recent years. In such a case, a judge or jury would determine if there were past attacks and if a likelihood of a crime was foreseeable. If so, they may hold that the bank had a duty to protect people using that machine, and find the bank liable.
