All people have gone to a shopping center to supply their daily needs. But, to what extent is it safe to walk inside a mall? The truth is that some shopping centers do not comply with the necessary security measures, and therefore accidents occur.
ACCIDENTS IN SHOPPING CENTERS ARE COMMON EVENTS
Accidents in shopping centers are increasingly common due to a large number of people and shops, because of this increasing quantity, accidents of all kinds can occur.
For example, in a pharmacy that is inside a shopping center, a defective product can be sold and in this same pharmacy, a slip and fall accident can occur.
IF SOMEONE IS INJURED IN A SHOPPING CENTER, WHO IS AT FAULT?
The fault may lie with the owner of the shopping center, one of the employees, the owner of a store, the person who rents a store, or even another visitor. In some accidents, the manufacturer of a product or its distributor could also be at fault.
ACCIDENTS IN THE SHOPPING CENTER
The mall owners would be partially at fault if they did not comply with the necessary safety measures to prevent accidents on their property.
For example, if construction was underway in a section of the mall and the owners failed to appropriately close off this section, they would be responsible for any resulting injuries.
Not all accidents that occur in a shopping center are the owners’ fault. The employees of a shopping center would be liable if they damaged the life of another person voluntarily or involuntarily while doing their job.
For instance, suppose a worker at the shopping center was cleaning the aisles in his work area. During the cleanup, he forgot to put up a sign to indicate that the floor was wet, and as a result, an elderly man fell and suffered a fracture. In this case, the janitor would be liable for the injuries incurred, and the person who hired him would not be at fault at all.
PERSONAL INJURIES IN STORES
The example mentioned above was in a mall hallway. But, what about incidents that occur inside a store? The person responsible for the accidents may be the owner of the store or the person to whom he has rented it.
For example, inside the mall, there is a grocery store. The people who run it are not the owners, but rather they rented the place to conduct their business.
If someone buys a product from that store and is injured by it, the victim’s personal injury lawyer has to answer the following questions to identify the culprit:
• Was the seller aware that the product was defective?
• Did the seller alter the product in any way?
• Who bought the product? The tenant or the owner of the property?
• Did the product contain all the necessary consumer warnings?
• Was the injury caused by a machine or electronic device located inside the property? If so, who is in charge of its maintenance?
The answers to these questions will allow the personal injury lawyer to know who is at fault: the property owner, the tenant, or some other link in the product’s supply chain.
PERSONAL INJURIES CAUSED BY STRUCTURAL FAILURES IN THE SHOPPING CENTER
If the structure of the building fails and as a result, an accident occurs, the owners of the shopping center must respond to the damages. In some extreme cases, the mall owners could shift liability towards the construction company they hired.
Regardless of who is at fault, victims will need to hire a personal injury lawyer in Edmonton in order to carry their case to completion.