Allegedly Insufficient Mall Security Blamed For Escalator Accident

This case involves a man who was severely injured on a mall escalator. The man was descending to the first floor of the mall when several rowdy children began running down the escalator. The children had just come from a sporting equipment store and had purchased a basketball. As the children were running down the escalator, they began throwing the ball to one another. The basketball hit the man in the back causing him to slip and fall on the escalator. The man suffered lower back and neck injuries from the incident. It was alleged that the mall had insufficient security measures and was negligent in monitoring the children in question. An expert in mall security with experience in escalator safety was sought to discuss the protocols that exist to prevent such incidents.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please describe your experience in mall security.

2. What protocols exist, if any, to prevent this kind of accident?

3. What standards exist regarding regular surveillance of all parts of the mall?

Expert Witness Response E-008337

I have 30+ years of experience in retail loss prevention and I spent 20 years as a director of security for various retailers located in malls. Measures to prevent incidences such as this should include visible roaming security officers on mobile foot patrol and strategic camera placement in main stairways, exits and entryways, escalators, common pathways, food courts, and balconies. There should be around-the-clock staff monitoring the live feeds. In addition, mall security should inform retailers how to best report incidences to them that they feel are unsafe.