Woman Sues for Injuries Sustained in Robbery Assault

Fort Lauderdale, FL—A certified nursing assistant, who spends her life caring for others, was the victim of a robbery/ assault turned hit and run accident on September 25, 2008. Ms. M, a regular patron of a nail salon located in a strip mall in Miramar, Florida, stopped by the nail salon to schedule her appointment. She pulled her car up to the doorway of the nail salon and while she poked her head in the door, the robber took the opportunity to grab Ms. M's purse out of her car. When Ms M tried to get her purse back from the robber, the robber jumped in a getaway car driven by an accomplice. The two assailants drove away dragging Ms M. more than 40 feet before she finally lost her grip and fell down hitting her face and head on the cement. She was subsequently transported to the hospital.

The Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria filed a lawsuit in Broward County Circuit Court against the owner of the strip mall, REAP, Inc. for their failure to provide adequate security. Crime grids of the area obtained by Miramar Police Department show that the area is prone to criminal activity. The Complaint alleges that the Defendant REAP knew or had reason to know that violent unknown assailants frequent the area and the Defendant failed to adequately protect its patrons, allowing a dangerous lure for criminal activity.

"This type of situation happens all too frequently and is preventable if strip malls and stores take appropriate security measures to protect their patrons from reasonably foreseeable criminal attacks such as this one. In this case the strip mall's profits are driven by their patrons; as such owners have a duty to implement sufficient security measures to protect against this type of criminal attack." said South Florida Attorney Diana Santa Maria, Founding Partner of Diana Santa Maria, P.A, law firm in Davie, Florida.