Despite shopping malls closing down at an exponential rate at the time of the so-called Great Retail Apocalypse, thousands of shoppers across California file premises liability lawsuits against malls to get compensation for their injuries each year.
Even though malls may not be as popular as they were a few years ago (thanks to the ongoing online shopping craze), shopping malls in the United States still present a major threat to the safety of customers and shoppers.
California is home to some of the biggest and busiest shopping malls and retail stores in our country, which means shoppers in Los Angeles and all across the state face even more potential hazards. While most malls in California exercise their legal duty of care to keep shoppers safe and prevent accidents, there are many who neglect that duty. The latter can be held liable for damages through a premises liability claim.
Today, we brought our Los Angeles premises liability attorney to outline what are the most dangerous areas in a shopping mall that present hazards to customers and shoppers, and how to hold shopping mall owners responsible for your injuries.
Slip and fall accidents in shopping malls
The second you step into a shopping mall, you should be aware of the potential hazards that may leave you or your loved ones injured and traumatized. Given the behemoth size of most shopping malls, there are quite a few injury danger areas that must be brought to your attention (it is the legal duty of mall owners to keep those danger zones properly maintained and safe, eliminate potential hazards and prevent accidents and injuries).
The most common reason why shoppers in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California file premises liability claims against shopping malls are slip and fall accidents. You may be able to attest to the fact that practically all shopping malls in California have those perfectly polished marble or concrete floors that are virtually a slip and fall accident waiting to happen.
While those beautifully polished floors certainly make the shopping mall more stylish and attractive in the eyes of a shopper, they are the main culprit behind thousands of slip and fall accidents that occur in shopping malls every year. Besides the fact that marble floors in shopping malls are slippery by nature, wet floor caused by spills or cleaning can only further aggravate the problem and increase the risk of slip and fall.
The property owner’s failure to prevent a slip and fall accident by failing to clean up spills immediately or placing the “Caution! Wet floor” sign may make the owner liable for damages caused by these accidents, our Los Angeles premises liability lawyer from the Compass Law Group, LLP says.
Escalators, elevators, and crime in shopping malls
But those slippery floors are not your only concern in shopping malls in California, as escalators and elevators are also a perfect breeding ground for accidents and injuries. Here is the thing: depending on the size of a shopping mall and the number of floors in it, escalators and elevators transport tens to hundreds of thousands of shoppers every single day.
Here is another interesting fact: most of these escalators and elevators operate 24/7, making it nearly impossible for responsible parties to inspect escalators and elevators and detect any malfunction, defects or flaws. Our Los Angeles premises liability attorney warns that some escalators and elevators operate improperly and were even inadequately installed, putting the lives of shoppers at risk of injury.
Loose clothing getting caught in an escalator, tripping hazards due to broken or missing steps, inadequate repairs, poorly designed handrails, escalators coming to an abrupt halt… These are common causes of injuries on escalators in California, to name a few.
Last but not least, shopping malls seem to attract violent crimes such as assault, robbery, and even rape, mostly due to inadequate security measures (or lack thereof), poorly lit areas, failure to install cameras, and others.
As you can see, there are a plethora of potential hazards that lurk on the premises of many shopping malls in California. Only an experienced premises liability attorney can help you determine which party was responsible for your injuries and can be held liable to obtain compensation.
Contact the Compass Law Group, LLP, to speak about your particular case. Our attorneys work with the best reconstruction experts, medical professionals, investigators, and other specialists who can add legal value to your claim to help you win a large settlement or verdict.
