People using automated teller machines (ATMs) are vulnerable to mugging and theft. Withdrawing money at night from an isolated ATM in the darkness is an accident waiting to happen.
Someone out after dark and alone is at greater risk of being attacked simply because it’s harder to see and more likely no one will be there to witness or discourage an attack. In today’s world, it is unfortunate that we need to live with a keen awareness of our surroundings.
The ATM owner, often a bank, is responsible for the safety of its customers using the ATM. The owner should do what he or she can to create a safe environment for its users. Ways he or she can do this include:
Other areas where ATMs are included outside convenience stores, in grocery stores, and at indoor and outdoor shopping centers. The owner of the premises where the ATM is located is responsible for the safety of its customers when it is clear that a particular spot location is dangerous.
When an ATM is repeatedly robbed or there is a history of customers being attacked at a machine, this fact should alert the bank to increase its security. If an ATM owner has ignored past attacks, it can help support allegations of the customer who is suing for damages.
