Lessing E. Gold

Lessing E. Gold of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp is counsel to the California Alarm Association and a contributing legal columnist. He can be reached at sdm@bnpmedia.com.

Contributing writer
Articles

ARTICLES

Meeting Statutory Requirements

Fire Department Fails to Respond
Lessing E. Gold
February 8, 2013
An interesting case is presently pending in the state of Arizona. An alarm was activated at the plaintiff’s uniform laundering facility in Phoenix. Within minutes, the plaintiff’s alarm monitoring company notified the city fire department that it had received a water flow alarm, which indicated the activation of fire suppression equipment at the plaintiff’s facility. The alarm company also reported that a burglar alarm at the facility had been activated.
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Was Search & Seizure a Violation?

Lessing E. Gold
January 15, 2013
In a recent Illinois case, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against a municipality and a police officer who responded with other officers to a bank alarm, alleging, among other things, violations of the Fourth Amendment.
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Was Operator’s Response Negligence?

Alarm Monitoring
Lessing E. Gold
December 13, 2012
The court in a recent Minnesota case noted there is a distinction between willful and wanton negligence and gross negligence. The plaintiff in the case purchased a home alarm system. Later, the defendant alarm company received a low-temperature alarm but failed to contact the plaintiff or any of the account’s contacts. Later, the low temperature caused a pipe to burst, resulting in damage.
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Standard of Care Deemed Question for a Jury

Lessing E. Gold
October 17, 2012
Tort law defines standard of care as the degree of prudence and caution required of an individual who is under a duty of care (a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that individuals adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could possibly harm others). The requirements of the standard are closely dependent on circumstances.
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Negligence Action: The Firefighter's Rule

Lessing E. Gold
August 14, 2012

A recent case in the state of Rhode Island dealt with the issue of when “the firefighter’s rule” applies. The plaintiff was a firefighter who filed a negligence action against a hospital and a security company. They, in turn, filed a motion for summary judgment claiming that the suit was barred by the firefighter’s rule. The Superior Court agreed with the defendants and granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. The firefighter appealed. 


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Public vs. Private Monitoring

Understanding the Rulings on Fire Monitoring in Illinois

Lessing E. Gold
July 23, 2012
An Illinois-based legal battle involving an attempt by public entities to take over fire alarm monitoring in Illinois has received national attention for its potential to influence fire monitoring in districts across the United States. While many know that, to date, the courts have sided with the alarm companies operating in Illinois, not as many may know the specific legal explanations for why the courts reached those rulings.
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