Representing Victims of Shopping Mall Accidents in Columbus

An accident in a shopping mall can do much more than interrupt your day. If you slip on a wet bathroom floor, get stuck in a malfunctioning escalator, or experience an attack in a poorly lit parking lot or garage, you may face serious physical harm and a difficult recovery. Where can you turn for support?

Since 2008, the Columbus personal injury attorneys at Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, have fought to secure compensation and achieve justice for victims of preventable accidents at shopping malls. Contact our office right away to arrange a free consultation and discuss your case with a trusted attorney.

Most Common Types of Accidents in Ohio Shopping Malls

Shopping malls are busy public spaces where visitors have the potential to encounter a variety of risks. Accidents can happen almost anywhere – from the parking lot to the food court – and they often result in injuries that require medical treatment or time away from work. Some of the most common incidents we’ve seen in Ohio shopping malls include:

Slip-and-Fall Accidents – Wet floors, spilled drinks, or recently mopped surfaces can cause sudden, unexpected falls.
Trip-and-Fall Accidents – Uneven flooring, torn carpeting, or cluttered walkways often lead to tripping injuries.
Escalator and Elevator Accidents – Mechanical failures or improper maintenance can cause serious harm to riders.
Falling Merchandise – Items stored or displayed on high shelves sometimes fall and strike shoppers below.
Parking Lot Accidents – Collisions, poor lighting, and uneven pavement frequently contribute to injuries outside the mall.
Assaults and Robberies – Inadequate security can leave visitors vulnerable to attacks or theft in parking lots, garages, and secluded hallways.
Food Court Accidents – Hot food spills or overcrowded seating areas may lead to burns, falls, or other injuries.

Each of these incidents can form the basis of a personal injury claim if someone caused an accident by failing in their duty to protect others from harm.

How Do Shopping Mall Accidents Happen?

Many shopping mall accidents occur because property owners, managers, or maintenance companies fail to keep the premises reasonably safe for visitors. Ohio law requires businesses that invite members of the public onto their property to take steps to fix hazards or warn their visitors about them. When they fail to do so, dangerous property conditions can lead to serious injury accidents. Common causes of shopping mall accidents include:

Lack of warning signs on wet or slippery floors
Uneven pavement, loose tiles, or torn carpeting
Poor lighting in hallways, stairways, parking areas, and bathrooms
Broken or missing handrails on stairs or escalators
Faulty escalators, elevators, or automatic doors
Obstructed or cluttered walkways
Spilled food or liquids left unaddressed
Ignored maintenance or delayed repairs
Inadequate security or lack of surveillance cameras
Poorly designed or unstable store displays

Who’s Responsible for a Shopping Mall Accident?

Determining who bears legal responsibility for a shopping mall accident can be a complex process. Liability depends on where and how the incident occurred, who had the responsibility to maintain that area, and whether anyone ignored safety standards. Depending on the circumstances, several parties may share responsibility for a visitor’s injuries, including:

Mall Owners – The owner of a shopping mall has a duty to keep the entire property reasonably safe, address known hazards, and ensure proper maintenance of shared spaces such as entrances, atria, restrooms, and hallways.
Property Management Companies – When mall owners contract day-to-day operations out to a management company, that company may be liable if it failed to inspect, repair, or warn about unsafe conditions.
Individual Store Owners or Tenants – Retail tenants must maintain their leased spaces and protect customers from hazards within their control, such as spills, unstable displays, or defective equipment.
Maintenance or Cleaning Contractors – Companies hired to clean floors, remove snow, repair escalators, or maintain lighting can be liable for negligent work that creates or leaves hazards unaddressed.
Security Companies – If inadequate staffing, surveillance, or response contributes to an assault or theft, a contracted security provider may share fault.

In some cases, multiple parties may share legal responsibility for causing an accident. A premises liability attorney from Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, will conduct a thorough investigation to identify all parties who contributed to the unsafe conditions that caused your injury.

Compensation Available in a Shopping Mall Accident Claim

If you got hurt in an accident at a shopping mall in Columbus, you may be dealing with a wide range of physical, financial, and emotional challenges as a result, particularly if your injuries are severe and limit your ability to work. Our attorneys can help you pursue compensation for the many losses that may have resulted from the accident, including:

Past, ongoing, and anticipated future medical expenses
Therapy and rehabilitation expenses
Home and vehicle modifications necessary to accommodate injuries or permanent disabilities
Lost income, including loss of future earning capacity and potential
Diminished quality of life
Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Property damage resulting from the accident

The amount of compensation you might recover after a shopping mall accident depends on the unique facts of your case. We’ll calculate your financial losses and collaborate with outside experts to gauge the full extent of the intangible impacts of the accident to ensure we seek an amount that fully and fairly compensates you for the harm you’ve suffered.

Steps to Take After a Shopping Mall Accident

What you do immediately after a shopping mall accident can make a major difference in your physical recovery and strengthen your injury claim. Prompt action helps protect your rights and creates a record of what happened. Take these steps immediately and in the days and weeks following the incident:

Report the accident to mall security or management and request a written incident report
Take photographs or videos of your injuries and any hazards or conditions that caused or contributed to the accident
Get contact information from witnesses who saw the accident or its aftermath
Seek medical attention right away, even if your injuries seem minor, and follow all treatment recommendations
Keep copies of medical bills, receipts, and correspondence related to the injury
Avoid discussing fault or posting about the incident on social media
Contact an Ohio premises liability attorney before speaking with insurance adjusters

How Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, Can Help

Trusting an attorney to manage your shopping mall accident claim is one of the most beneficial things you can do to promote your physical and financial recovery. While you focus on healing, Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, will handle the investigation, prepare your claim, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Without an attorney, you risk jeopardizing your claim and could wind up with far less than you’re owed – in one case involving a slip-and-fall at a restaurant, we secured 10 times the initial settlement offer for our client.

Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, has extensive litigation experience and has recovered millions for injured people in Columbus and throughout Ohio. We’re proud of our track record and the effort and resources we put into providing our clients with comprehensive legal support. Best of all, we do so at no financial risk to the injured – we offer free consultations, work on contingency, and only get paid if we win your case. Contact us today to get started.

Practice Areas