An employee who was attacked as he was closing up at the Valdosta Mall may have avoided injury if inadequate security was not involved. The man was beaten and robbed as he was leaving the mall.
Two men attacked the 20-year-old mall employee and escaped with $100. His father later found him injured in the parking lot; he was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries and then released, but his family says that he does not know when he will return to work again.
There was no mention of whether any mall security was on duty at the time of the crime. The Valdosta Police utilize a Mobile Command Unit in the mall parking lot, which is a surveillance system known as the eye in the sky. However, police did not find any footage of the crime on the system. They are currently searching for any other footage that may have captured the attack or the identity of the assailants.
Malls are busy locations, especially during the holiday shopping season. Many malls have extra security at busy times of the year. Workers who are leaving shopping centers at night are more susceptible to attack when adequate security is not present. An individual who is injured in this manner may have the foundation for a premises liability claim if he or she sustained a personal injury after being attacked by third parties. A premises liability attorney can conduct an investigation in order to determine whether the property owner was aware of similar acts that had occurred on or near the premises.
Source: WALB-TV, “Valdosta Mall employee beaten & robbed,” Lydia Jennings, Nov. 29, 2012