A parking lot can be a dangerous place. Crimes involving customers being robbed in parking lots or followed home highlight the importance of grocery store parking lot safety. This is a good time to review your safety policies. Are you doing enough to keep your workers and customers safe?
Grocery Store Parking Lot Crimes
AL.com says an elderly woman was shot during a robbery that occurred in a Publix grocery store parking lot in Mobile, Alabama. The shooting occurring around 3:30 p.m. after the woman refused to give money to a man who approached her.
In another case, WKOW says a man has been convicted of robbery with use of force. He attacked an elderly and disabled woman in the parking lot of a grocery store in Madison, Wisconsin. The woman fell, fracturing an elbow and injuring her muscles, after the man forcibly grabbed her purse.
ABC 11 says men followed a 66-year-old woman home from a Walmart parking lot in Smithfield, North Carolina and robbed her in her driveway. The woman said that one of the men had a shotgun, and they took her purse before leaving by car.
These crimes show how dangerous parking lots can be, especially for vulnerable individuals like those who are disabled or elderly.
How Grocery Stores Can Be Held Liable
Keeping crime down is good for business. No one wants to risk their life just to pick up some groceries. If your store earns a reputation as a hotspot for crime, customers may drive to grocery stores in other areas to stay safe.
But that’s not the only way crime can harm your business. There is also legal precedent for holding stores liable for violent crimes that occur on the premises.
One notable case involves a store in Georgia, although it is relevant for stores in high-crime areas anywhere in the country. According to Insurance Journal, an appeals court in Georgia upheld a $43 million premises liability verdict against CVS Pharmacy in connection to a shooting that occurred in the parking lot of one of its stores. CVS was held liable because there was evidence that showed the company leaders knew that the parking lot had been the scene of multiple robberies and assaults but failed to install extra lighting or hire a security guard. In fact, CVS had removed security guards two years before the shooting. Employees had requested more security.
Businesses have a legal duty of care to their customers. They must take reasonable steps to keep their customers safe, whether this involves promptly cleaning up a spilled beverage that could pose a slip-and-fall hazard or adding security to a parking lot known for crime. Employers also have a general duty to keep their workers safe under OSHA rules, and this can extend to the parking lot. OSHA says company parking lots that are under the control of the employer are part of the establishment for recordkeeping purposes.
Do You Feel Safe in Your Parking Lot?
Ask yourself:
- Have there been incidents of crime in your parking lot?
- Have your employees reported feeling unsafe?
If the answer to either question is yes, you may have a problem that could result in liability and lost business. By increasing your parking lot security, you can help keep your workers and customers safe while reducing your liability.
Download our grocery store parking lot safety tip sheet for more information on managing your risks, and share it with your team.
Do you have an insurance partner who understands your unique risks? Contact RiskPoint’s grocery team:
| Joe Scarpello | Melissa Johnson |
| 253.444.5584 | 253.444.5654 |
