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(SPD)

Savannah-Chatham police have stepped up patrols near retail stores to protect shoppers and reduce holiday crime. SCMPD’s “Jingle Bell Patrol” is an effort to protect shoppers where they are most vulnerable.

The Savannah Morning News reports, “[a]dditional officers are placed on busy streets, in commercial parking lots and near high traffic retail zones in search of auto break-ins, robberies or shoplifting.”

While shopping center safety is ultimately the responsibility of the property owner, holiday shoppers can take steps to protect their families and reduce risk. The Savannah Police Department urges shoppers to practice holiday safety precautions:

  • Limit the amount of cash you carry. Try to use debit or credit cards.
  • Keep your cell phone in a pocket rather than your purse.
  • Shop with someone else. The more the better.
  • Be aware of your surroundings.
  • Park in a well-lit area.
  • Always store valuables out of sight.
  • Lock your car and make sure windows are up.
  • Take all keys.
  • If you have to make a run to the car, hide the purchases in the trunk or another secure area and consider re-parking.
  • Consider making your most expensive purchases last so you can head straight home with them.
  • Have your keys ready when you approach your car. (Your keys can be used as a defensive weapon if necessary.)
  • Look around the car to assure that no one is lurking around or in the car before entering.
  • Consolidate smaller purchases into one or two large shopping bags.
  • Take a photo of your child before shopping. If they become lost, you will have a current photo of them in the clothes they are wearing that can aid in more quickly finding them.
  • Point out security guards or store offices so your children know where to go if they do become separated.

Read the complete list of SPD holiday safety tips.

Victims of Georgia Store and Parking Lot Violence: Know Your Rights

Mall and shopping center patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment they are visiting. By Georgia law, property owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a mall or retail center owner have knowledge of prior violence on or near property, they have a responsibility to implement additional security precautions to protect patrons and deter such crime. Should a shopping center or retail parking lot owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries, sexual assaults, or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

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Could this senseless Rex grocery store shooting have been prevented, and are justice and compensation available to the victims?

Two people were injured when gunfire erupted “at [a shopping center] on GA 42 in Rex” Thursday evening, December 6, 2018, according to The AJC.  The shopping plaza is home to a Food Depot, according to the AJC report.

Police told 11 Alive, the victims, a man and a woman, “are in a metro Atlanta hospital recovering.” Investigators are apparently still searching for a suspect and motive.

Was negligent security a factor in this Rex shooting? Read Our Legal Take below to find out if the victims may have legal avenues for justice and claims for substantial compensation in Georgia.

Our Legal Take

Store and parking lot patrons have a right to feel safe and secure while on the premises. The Murray Law Firm questions the level of security provided at the property and whether this shooting may have been prevented.

  • Have there been prior incidents of violence on or near property?
  • What security measures, such as bright lighting, monitored surveillance cameras, clear windows and sight lines, and visible security patrols, were in place to deter crime and protect the victims at the time of the shooting?

By law, property owners in Georgia are required to protect all those legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm.  Should the facts of this matter reveal that the store or parking lot owners failed to provide adequate security, the victims may seek justice and elect to pursue legal claims for their injuries.

The Murray Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars for victims of unsafe properties in Georgia, and recently obtained a $29.25 million dollar verdict in Georgia.

We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at CALL NOW: 404.842.1600. Consultations are free and confidential.

CALL NOW: 404.842.1600

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Georgia apartment residents have a right to feel safe and secure in their own homes. Yet, while home owners can implement any security precaution they deem necessary to protect themselves and their families, apartment tenants are largely at the mercy of their property owner and management company to deter crime. Security measures may include gated-entry, fencing, monitored surveillance cameras, off-duty police patrols, private security personnel, bright lighting, and background checks for both tenants and employees. Sadly, such precautions are all too often neglected to limit financial exposure. This inaction and greed can have devastating consequences.

Police told WSB-TV 2 they are searching for “a man who they say has robbed at least eight people at gunpoint at their Buckhead and Midtown apartment complexes in the last month.” The robberies “have spanned five separate apartment complexes,” including “the Allure Complex on Peachtree Valley Road and the 1660 Luxury Apartments on Peachtree Street.”

According to The AJC, two women were robbed in separate incidents “at the Brookwood Valley Apartments in Buckhead” on November 7, 2018.

“Brookhaven Police were called to the Post Glen Apartments on Peachtree Road on November 24,” per 11 Alive reports. In that incident “the gunman took the woman’s purse and shot her in the thigh.”

The robberies raise grave questions about apartment complex security measures and what property managers are doing to protect tenants.

Victims of Atlanta Apartment Assault or Injury: What Are My Legal Options for Justice and Compensation?

By law, Georgia apartment complex owners have a duty to protect tenants and guests from any foreseeable harm. Should a property owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries, sexual assaults, or wrongful deaths suffered as a consequence. Compensation may be in the tens of millions of dollars. As each case and property is unique, victims of apartment crime should speak with an experienced security negligence firm as soon as possible to ensure all evidence, such as surveillance footage or broken lighting, is preserved and their best interests are protected.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

Continue reading →