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Tragic Parking Lot Shooting in Georgia Leads to Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A tragic story in a Wal-Mart parking lot has led one woman to file a wrongful death case against the company. The widow claims that there is a history of violence in the parking lots of Wal-Mart and that they did not take the actions they should have to secure their parking lots. Based on the long list of violence in Wal-Mart parking lots in recent years, she may have a case.

More about the particular case

This particular incident happened in August and involved an argument in a crowded parking lot. The issue involved the one person’s accusation that another person pulled up too close to the crosswalk and put their family in danger. The victim was involved in the argument but left the scene and parked. At that point, the assailant followed the victim, pulled out a gun, and shot him. Said assailant was subsequently arrested and charged with murder. He is also named in the Wal-Mart lawsuit.

Wal-Mart’s response to the incident and lawsuit

A representative for Wal-Mart says that it was an isolated incident that involved an argument between two people and that they had no way of knowing how far the argument would escalate. This may be true when applied only to the incident in question but the plaintiff argues that Wal-Mart should be aware of an increasingly high crime rate in their parking lots.

In fact, the current SEO of Wal-Mart, who took over in 2014, said that reducing crime was one of his top priorities when he came to the position. He keeps a detailed database of all criminal acts in their store. Even if they did not do so, local media outlets have been keeping an eye on Wal-Mart violence. For example, in Port Ritchie, Florida, police say that more than half of the criminal activity in the city takes place at Wal-Mart. In Tulsa, police say they are called to the four Wal-Mart stores there nearly 2,000 times per year.

Courts are more likely than they used to be to side with the plaintiffs

In recent years, courts across the country have become more likely to side with plaintiffs and hold retail establishments liable for crime that occurs in their parking lots. The question of whether they are liable in any particular case depends on the injuries and how foreseeable the crime was. It is more likely for the store to be found at-fault if there was a history of crime in their particular parking lot.

We can assess your wrongful death case with a free consultation

If you have lost a loved one and you believe that a person or entity could have and should have prevented that death, then you may have grounds for a wrongful death case. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now for a free legal consultation.