Premises liability is the legal concept that property owners are liable for whatever happens within their premises. They must keep their property reasonably safe and free from hazards, which puts a significant burden on commercial establishments. North Carolina premises liability law safeguards the rights of lawful visitors to reasonable care and protection. Customers are lawful visitors, meaning shopping malls have many lawful visitors that visit the mall daily.
Shopping mall owners have an obligation to keep their lawful visitors or customers safe while inside the premises of the mall. If a customer sustains an injury inside the mall due to the mall owner’s or staff’s negligence, the injured party may hold the mall owners liable. Negligence occurs when the shopping mall owner fails to maintain the property. They may also be accountable if the security is inadequate and a customer suffers damages from a crime within the vicinity.
What should I do if I sustain injuries in the shopping mall?
If you want to pursue a personal injury claim against the mall owners, you must be ready. You must prove there was a dangerous condition that would not have existed had the shopping mall owners exercised due prudence and reasonable care. Here are immediate steps to follow right after getting the injury:
- Receive medical attention
- Report the incident to the mall security
- Keep a copy of the incident report
- Obtain physical evidence by taking photos of the scene
- Check if there are witnesses and get their contact information
You must establish that the shopping mall owner did not take reasonable actions to repair or correct the dangerous conditions. You need to have proof.
You can also hold other people liable
Individual store owners pay rent and are temporary or contractual property owners. They also have a responsibility to those visiting their shop. If you can build a solid case, you can try recovering compensation from multiple parties.