With locations in 45 states, Dollar General stores are common throughout Texas and the rest of the United States. There are more than 16,360 storefronts, but worker safety issues plague many of them, including right here in Dallas.
In May 2018, a young mother was killed during a robbery while working at the Dollar General at 4807 Sunnyvale St. The attorneys at Shamieh Law represent the family of Gabrielle Monique Simmons, who was killed by a 15-year-old who robbed the east Oak Cliff store.
In the premises liability case, the victim’s family points to the store’s failure to implement measures that would’ve protected employees. If you lost a loved one due to another person’s actions or the negligence of an employer, please contact Shamieh Law to learn more about your rights.
Dollar General Hotspot for Crime
Before the robbery that took the life of the 27-year-old mother of six, the store faced its fair share of crime. The employee, co-worker, and close friend of Simmons, LaBresha King, recalls thieves stealing workers’ tools during the new store’s construction. And on the day the store officially opened in November 2016, it was robbed. Throughout King’s employment at Dollar General, the store was robbed four times.
The attorneys at Shamieh Law represent the family of young Gabrielle Simmons in a lawsuit against Dollar General, claiming the store failed to implement safety protocols that could’ve saved her life.
According to King and statements from the victim’s family, Simmons complained numerous times of feeling unsafe and asked for security. To paint a clearer picture of the situation, here are just some of the security concerns surrounding the Sunnyvale storefront:
- No lights at the back of the building
- The lights in front automatically turned off after hours
- The parking lot lights are only motion-activated
- Missing signage forbidding guns in the store
- The cash registers do not have panic buttons
- The sign stating the store had a remote security system was fake
Simmons and other employees continuously brought the above concerns to store managers’ attention, but attempts at resolution through the corporation’s higher-ups fell on deaf ears. Some of the safety provisions employees asked for include:
- Additional lighting
- Exterior security cameras
- Aluminum rolling doors
- A layout change that would make it easier for employees to watch the door
Dollar General ignored all of these requests, leaving employees at risk and susceptible to crimes like murder-robbery that took our client’s life.
Dollar General a ‘Robbery Magnet’
Dollar General is an affordable option for people throughout America, but police say it’s also a ‘robbery magnet.’ Tragically, our client’s story is not unlike many others.
According to reports, there have been countless instances of Dollar General failing to implement standard safety features and, in turn, protect workers. The Gun Violence Archive lists more than 200 violent crimes involving guns at Dollar General or Family Dollar stores since 2017, 50 of which resulted in deaths.
In addition to robberies and crimes like the one that took Simmons’s life, incidents include carjacking in parking lots, drug deals gone bad, and violent altercations inside stores. Since 2017, Dollar General employees have been wounded in shootings in at least 31 different robberies, and seven incidents have led to worker fatalities.
These statistics are shocking, putting it mildly. A quick Google search will show that Dollar General is often in the middle of preventable robberies, shootings, and other situations that leave employees injured – or worse. Our lawyers are committed to ensuring justice is served for Gabrielle Simmons and her family and will do everything we can to hold the corporation responsible. To learn more about premises liability cases and your rights following a preventable crime, contact Shamieh Law today.
Do I Have a Premises Liability Case?
In today’s article, we’ve taken a closer look at some of the most serious types of premises liability cases. Although Dollar General may seem like a ‘thriving business,’ adding new stores at a higher rate than most, the lack of care from management puts employees and customers in a dangerous situation and sets the store up for a premises liability lawsuit.
Premises liability is a common type of personal injury that occurs when someone suffers an injury caused by an unsafe or dangerous condition on someone’s property or business. Most premises liability cases are based on negligence, meaning the injured person or their family must prove the property owner or business was negligent with the maintenance or ownership of the property.
In the case against Dollar General, Simmons’ family is accusing the store of failing to take safety measures like added security, lights, and proper signage that may have prevented the robbery and murder of their daughter. Other examples of premises liability cases include:
- Slip and fall cases
- Inadequate maintenance of the property
- Defective conditions on the property
- Inadequate building security
- Construction accidents
- Tripping on uneven flooring
- Water leaks or flooding
- Toxic fumes
- Fires
To successfully bring a premises liability case in Texas, you must be able to prove liability. In the case against Dollar General, we are working to show that the store had a duty to protect employees by listening to their concerns and taking appropriate actions to improve security.
The east Oak Cliff store failed to do so, resulting in the murder of Simmons. Proving liability can be challenging in some cases, so you need an experienced Dallas premises liability lawyer by your side. We will help you prove the following:
- The at-fault party had a responsibility to maintain the property
- The property owner or business owner was negligent in the maintenance of the property
- This negligence directly led to the injury or death
To learn more about your rights following an accident or incident on someone else’s property, please contact Shamieh Law and schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys today. We are here to answer any questions you may have and help you understand your options.
