A Georgia woman was attacked and robbed while in the parking lot of a shopping center. The victim may have been put in danger by inadequate security on the premises.
The woman was allegedly stalked by the suspect at the store in Fayetteville. While she was walking in the parking lot, the thief came from behind her, threw her to the ground and snatched her purse. The suspect escaped with her belongings. Though police had security footage of the suspect from the store, it took the police several weeks to make an arrest. Authorities eventually determined that the stolen credit card had been used to buy several tanks of gas, and were able to use security footage from the gas stations to identify the man.
The woman who was robbed suffered injuries in the robbery, but her husband says the emotional damage is even worse. People who are attacked while in a public place may lose all sense of safety. Victims often suffer emotional and psychological damage from an attack. Psychological trauma can have a devastating impact on a victim’s mental health.
The victim may have a case for premises liability. The store could be found liable for the attack due to inadequate security. Property owners have a legal duty to keep visitors safe from what the law refers to as “unreasonable risk of harm.” Even if the attacker has no relationship to the owner of a property, the owner can still be sued for what’s called third party premises liability. The business could be liable for damages to someone who was attacked by a third party on their premises.
This liability can be difficult to determine. If you are considering legal action relating to premises liability, it’s a good idea to consult with a lawyer with experience in this field.
Source: KCTV News, “Police make arrest in Kohl’s parking lot attack“, Doug Evans, May 08, 2013
Source: KCTV News, “Police make arrest in Kohl’s parking lot attack“, Doug Evans, May 08, 2013