When shopping centers fail to keep their properties safe for customers, they put themselves in the dangerous situation of being sued for premises liability claims. These personal injury lawsuits result when patrons suffer moderate-to-severe injuries from problems that should have been noticed and fixed by the property owner. If negligence can be proven, the injured victim will likely have a strong case against the shopping center.
Justification for Premises Liability Claims
Typical cases of premises liability claims include injuries that were caused by:
- Poor lighting
- Falling merchandise
- Slippery walkways
- Crumbling stairs
- Insufficient security
These lawsuits are filed by personal injury lawyers whose expertise lies in negligent and intentional torts. Depending on where the accident occurred, a lawyer may suggest filing lawsuits against both the store owner and the property owner. Cases like this are usually seen in shopping centers, where store owners do not own the property. In order to win such a case, it must be proven that a hazard existed, and management knew or should have known about it. It must also be proven that management had ample time to either fix the problem or warn customers.
Howard C. Kornberg is AV-rated* by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given to attorneys for legal trial skills and ethical standards. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California.
It is important that premises liability claims be filed quickly-preferably within 30 days. There is a time limit under California law and the chance of building a strong case increases when it is filed in the days following the accident. This allows an attorney to document the safety hazard before it is fixed or disappears. Howard C. Kornberg is a personal injury lawyer who serves the Southern California and Ventura County area. His trial-litigation skills are well respected as is his track record of winning lawsuits against major corporations.
Find out more about Premises Liability
*AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent®, and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general practice standards.
