Woman awarded $3 million in Galleria civil suit

I am not posting this to discuss the tort system, or the amount of money that can be awarded in damages in a civil lawsuit. I am posting this to illustrate the need to be aware of your surroundings and take at least some responsibility for your safety.

First the story.

From the Houston Chronicle:

By Dale Lezon

Woman awarded $3 million in Galleria civil suit

A Harris County jury Thursday awarded a woman abducted at the Galleria and sexually assaulted more than $3 million in her civil suit against the luxury shopping center's owner and the firm that provides its security.

"No amount of money will bring back her sense of security, but she hopes this will prevent other attacks from happening again," said David Matthews, the woman's attorney, "It's a wake-up call to the Galleria that you need to enhance your security. When you know there's a pattern of crime in the parking garages you must warn employees and customers."

The victim, a hairstylist at the mall who was 19 at the time of the attack, sued the Galleria's parent company, HG Shopping Center, L.P, and its security provider, IPC International Corp., after she was abducted in one of the shopping center's parking garages and sexually assaulted in August 2003...

...The suit stated that the shopping center and the security company did not warn employees that a predator had attacked other women in the mall's parking garages that summer.

I agree that the mall and it's security provider were more than negligent in not informing employees and customers that a serial predator was using the Galleria parking lots as a hunting ground. I also hope that security is improved because of this lawsuit, better security in our malls is a good thing. What I do not agree with is that "this will prevent other attacks from happening again". Depending upon others to prevent attacks from happening to you is a false hope, and could cost you dearly.

These attacks were at the Galleria, an upscale mall. Not some strip mall on the edge of welfare town. Security is already quite good compared to other malls, can't have the rich getting robbed in the parking lots and all that. Yet still this goblin was successful in his hunt on more than one occasion.

I guess the moral of this story is that even in the nicest, most upscale places, bad things can happen. It is getting close to the holiday season, the season when our family and loved ones head out to the malls. It is also the time of year when goblins are at their worst. Keep alert and do your best to not become a victim, and if a goblin decides that your best is not good enough, stop him dead.