Personal injury cases originate in many ways and at many locations. A recurrent kind of case involves people injured at the mall. Sometimes it's a car crash, others a fall on a slippery substance and still others involve criminal activity at the mall. The obvious question, do I have a claim and if so against whom?
At Clark and Steinhorn, LLC we have successfully represented a bevy of victims of "premises liability cases" (A legal term meaning cases against property owners of managers) in obtaining fair compensation.
The first step occurs at the scene. If you fall, or are criminally attacked or fall in a parking lot hole or defect, it is important to notify mall personnel, the local police and to document how the incident happened through pictures and witnesses. Many people get hurt and through the aid of good Samaritans, get medical attention but unless you get that person's name they may be gone with the wind.
Mall personnel are trained to document incidents and may serve to help identify witnesses. 911calls create a record of an incident as well. EMT's document what they find at the scene and the nature of your injuries, so don't overlook them.
Oddly, if you are taken to the hospital, your history of injury as recorded in your medical chart can either help or hurt your case. If you know you stepped in a hole in a poorly illuminated part of the parking lot where you couldn't see it, say so before the mall replaces the light bulbs. If some driver struck you as you walked through a mall crosswalk make sure you mention this fact. The initial medical records often prove to be important both as to the injuries youi sustained and how they came about.
Sometimes a slippery substance that you fall in is located at the entrance to a particular merchant. Is that the responsibility of that merchant or the mall you arevwalking through? This issue occurs rather frequently and the answer often lies in the hands of skilled legal representation. Responsibilities for specific areas of a public mall are often delineated in conrtacts and agreements between the mall and its tenants. It often takes an experienced lawyer to understand who is at fault and why.
The final area we will cover today concerns criminal activity at the mall. Malls want to attract customers in order to remain financially viable. Unfortunately, some of those whom they attract are up to no good. Car theft, sexual assault, and robberies are all issues malls and their patrons are confronted with regularly. The customers who become victims generally have no idea that their favorite mall has a crime problem.
The mall of course wants to keep it that way. Publicizing rapes or robberies scares the public and angers the mall tenants. Thus, victims of crime at malls or shopping centers often had no idea that the mall managers and owners knew beforehand that there was a crime issue that they could have and should have warned the public and prospective customers about.
How do you find out if the mall you were injured, attacked or robbed at had a crime problem beforehand? The local police department is a great place to start and that is where an experienced lawyer is essential. It is one thing to ask the police for information it is another thing to know what you are looking for and to be persistent in getting it.
The bottom line, call Clark and Steinhorn, LLC if you are a victim of personal injury at your local mall, shopping center of other public place. We will help you make your claim against the right people for the right reasons.
