Shopping environments such as malls and department stores can get extremely busy and hectic, especially around the holidays. It is common for stores to employ more workers for these busy periods so that they can prevent long lines and overcrowded stores. They also have a responsibility to hire more staff to ensure that their environment is a safe one and nobody injures themselves on their property.
Sales and holiday shopping can create an environment in stores that makes it much more likely for a person to become injured. When staff are overworked, they may not be able to ensure that obstructions such as dropped clothes hangers are removed from the floor promptly. These hazards can cause accidents.
When a person is injured on property such as a department store or any area within a shopping mall, the questions that are asked in a legal inquiry are usually centered around whether the owner of the property or their employees could have reasonably prevented the incident if they had carried out their duties fully.
If a floor was wet and there were no warning signs or attempt to clean it up, for example, it will be seen as negligence on the part of the property owner or others who were responsible for the safety of the premises. This can make them liable for damages.
If you have been injured in a shopping mall, you should consider whether you think that the owners breached their duties before filing a claim for damages. An Arizona premises liability attorney can provide guidance based on your specific circumstances.
Source: Findlaw, “Shopping Injuries Overview,” accessed Dec. 05, 2017
