How to Manage Four Risk Exposures for Commercial Entities

In Mississippi, a mall owner was found negligent for injuries a woman sustained after an assailant attacked her in a parking lot of a shopping mall. A patron walking by saw the attack and reported it to security, who upon initial response found the assailant holding a knife and the victim in the vehicle. The security guard called an associate security guard for assistance then left the scene. The victim survived with non-life threatening injuries and was awarded $40,000 in damages.

The mall owner appealed, arguing that the the contract security company was at fault. However, the appellate court affirmed the lower court’s decision, citing that the mall owner could not delegate his liability to the security company. While the exposure for this did not end up being financially catastrophic, this is just one of many examples of the necessity to manage services provided in the areas of maintenance, janitorial and security for commercial, healthcare and public enterprises.