Many of us love the process of walking from one store to another at a shopping mall to buy something in particular. There are also those who love to spend their time at shopping malls by simply looking at the trendiest clothing, while others can spend hours in the dressing rooms trying on new looks and taking selfies for their Instagram followers.
Regardless of why you go to shopping malls in Pittsburgh or elsewhere in Pennsylvania, you may get hurt there. In the event of an injury at a shopping mall, who is going to be held accountable for your damages? Our Pittsburgh shopping mall accident attorney from Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman is going to explain everything you need to know about filing a premises liability claim after getting injured at a shopping center.
SHOPPING MALL’S LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENTS AND INJURY
Before we delve into the topic, you need to have a basic understanding of how shopping malls work. The vast majority of shopping malls in Pennsylvania are owned by businesses who lease spaces to individual stores ranging from clothing retailers and jewelry stores to beauty salons and coffee-serving venues.
These stores have a legal duty to keep their spaces clean and safe for customers. “What about the interconnecting walkways between those stores?” you may ask. Our experienced shopping mall accident attorney in Pittsburgh explains that interconnecting walkways, parking lots, restrooms, elevators, and escalators fall under the umbrella of the shopping mall’s responsibility.
Owners of shopping malls are legally responsible for keeping these common areas safe for visitors and customers. If a shopping mall fails to ensure your safety on the premises, you may be eligible to sue its owners to seek compensation for your injury.
WHY DO SO MANY AMERICANS GET INJURED IN SHOPPING MALL ACCIDENTS?
That makes sense, right? So how come thousands of American customers get injured at shopping malls each year? Why aren’t shopping centers maintaining their properties free of hazards?
Three words: it is expensive. You may be aware of the so-called retail apocalypse. Shopping malls in the U.S. and all across the world are closing at a rapid rate, with experts predicting that one out of four shopping centers will be closed by 2020. Brick-and-mortar retail stores are closing at this rate due to many factors, including but not limited to rising rent, low profits, as well as the fact that shoppers are ditching retail stores in favor of e-commerce shopping.
“Keeping up with the maintenance, repairs, and security measures impose an additional financial burden, which is why many stores at shopping malls may scrimp on safety, putting their customers at a greater risk of injury,” explains our Pittsburgh shopping center accident lawyer.
TYPES OF ACCIDENTS AT SHOPPING CENTERS
Despite the fact that shopping malls are going bankrupt and closing at an exponential rate, they still carry insurance coverage to pay for any injuries or damages caused to their customers. These are some of the most common accidents that occur in shopping centers:
- Parking lot accident
- Slip and fall accident
- Defective or faulty elevators and escalators
- Falling debris or merchandise
- Trampling
- Assaults
- Rape and
- Muggings and robberies
WHO CAN BE SUED FOR YOUR SHOPPING MALL ACCIDENT?
There are multiple parties who can be sued for your shopping mall accident, depending on the circumstances of your particular accident. Generally, you will be able to seek compensation from one or more parties:
- Shopping mall owner or management company (for accidents that occur in a common area such as a walkway, parking lot, elevator, escalator, stairs, or restroom)
- Individual retail store that rents space at the shopping mall (for accidents that occur on this store’s space)
- Manufacturer of defective escalator or elevator
- Customers or visitors
If you are planning to file a premises liability claim against a shopping mall or individual store, make sure you get a free consultation from an experienced shopping center accident lawyer Pittsburgh first. Unfortunately, shopping malls are multi-billion-dollar corporations that are notorious for their ability to escape liability in pretty much any type of accident. After all, let’s not forget that they can afford the best defense lawyers in Pennsylvania.
Talk to our attorneys at Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman to receive a free case evaluation. Call our offices at (412) 391-7610.
