Shopping Mall Accidents

South Florida boasts a variety of large shopping malls, from Bal Harbor and Aventura in Miami to Boca Raton’s Town Center Mall. When customers visit a group of retail stores, they are doing so with the intention to buy merchandise, and they do not consider any dangerous conditions that may be present. Instead, it is a mall owner’s responsibility to provide a safe environment for its patrons. When these individuals or companies fall short, serious injuries can result. The Miami premises liability attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon help people injured in a shopping mall accident pursue proper legal action against the responsible parties. Our firm offers experienced and knowledgeable legal representation to people throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as across the South Florida region. If you or someone in your family has been injured while visiting a shopping mall, contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your potential legal claims.

If they are not maintained properly, shopping malls can greatly injure customers who visit their property. From parking lots to interior areas, including escalators and elevators, mall owners and those who occupy the shops in the mall have a duty to keep the premises free from defective, dangerous conditions. Examples of these conditions include failing to clean up spills within a reasonable time period, improperly stocking merchandise on shelves, using inadequate lighting or security measures, or neglecting stairs or walkways that have fallen into disrepair.

When a customer sustains an injury due to a mall owner’s failure to properly maintain its property, victims can pursue a premises liability claim to recover compensation for the harm done. Owners and occupiers of business establishments are required to conduct regular inspections of the property and fix any dangerous conditions that they observe, or they must warn shoppers of a hazard’s presence. To succeed in a premises liability case, an injured individual must establish that a business owner knew, or with proper care should have known, of a dangerous condition, but it failed to take the appropriate measures to rectify the condition. For instance, if a mall owner has not scheduled maintenance or inspection for an escalator, leading to that escalator’s malfunction and the ensuing injuries of a patron, that owner can be found liable. In some instances, a manufacturer can be found liable if there is a design or manufacturing defect that contributes to creating a dangerous condition.

A fall or another accident in a shopping mall can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones, brain trauma, lacerations, and spinal injuries. These injuries can be even more severe for elderly or child victims. If liability is established, victims may be awarded damages to cover the costs of past and future medical expenses, loss of income, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering. In Florida, premises liability claims must be filed within four years from the date of the injury. This may seem like a lengthy amount of time, but detailed evidence regarding the conditions of the property, as well as routines in maintenance and inspection, is often necessary to prevail in these cases. Collecting and presenting evidence takes significant time and effort, making it important to consult a seasoned injury attorney as soon as possible so that they can undertake the proper actions to preserve a victim’s rights.

If you have suffered a fall or any other type of accident leading to injuries while visiting a shopping mall, the personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help you determine your next legal steps. While you make recovery your priority, our firm will make your legal claim ours. You can contact us today either at 877.499.4878 or online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about our legal services and how we can assist you. Our attorneys represent people in cities such as Miami, and West Palm Beach.