On December 5, 2022, the lawyer of the family of a young boy who suffered severe injuries at Mall of America reached a confidential settlement in a personal injury lawsuit. Let’s explore the details of the incident with Ehline Law and our retail premises liability personal injury attorneys.
Family of Boy Who Was Thrown from Balcony Reaches Undisclosed Settlement with Mall of America
On April 12, 2019, Emmanuel Aranda, with a history of disruption, threw a 5-year-old boy, Landen, from the third-floor balcony at the Mall of America.
Aranda Pleaded Guilty for Throwing Boy from the Third-floor Balcony at the Mall
The state pressed criminal charges against Aranda, who pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and now faces 19 years imprisonment. According to the lawsuit filed in July 2021, Landen suffered severe and permanent injuries to the face, arms, legs, and other body parts.
The Family of a Boy Who Was Thrown from a Balcony Calls the Recovery a Miracle
Boy’s recovery has been nothing short of a miracle, and the family worked with the Mall of America to reach a settlement and bring policy changes. The complaint alleged that the mall previously banned Aranda for exhibiting suspicious behavior a day before the attempted first-degree murder.
The Lawsuit Alleged Aranda Entered the Mall Due to a Lack of Security
According to the lawsuit, the Mall of America was negligent for not providing adequate security in identifying the man and stopping him.
The Associated Press reported that Emmanuel Aranda threw Landen after several women rejected his advances toward them. Enraged, Aranda entered the mall intending to kill someone and found Landen, grabbing him and throwing the young boy from the third-floor balcony.
The family’s lawyer released a statement stating that the family and the Mall of America are working together to bring policy changes to existing trespass limits for violent criminals to help prevent such persons from entering the mall again and harming others.
Family and Mall of America Jointly Pursuing Policy Changes, Plaintiff’s Lawyer States
In the statement, the lawyer stated that the focus remains on the boy’s recovery and its essential to give the family the privacy they need.
There is no mention of the settlement amount, except that the family spent over $1.75 million in medical treatment and that the affected family sought future medical expenses and non-economic damages, including future income loss, emotional distress, and others.
In the “Mall of America and family of boy thrown from balcony reach settlement” incident, the mall security failed to identify and remove the suspicious man with a history of disruptions from the mall resulting in severe injuries to the boy.
Mall owners must take reasonable steps to ensure that their guests are safe, and the Mall of America breached that duty toward Landen and his family, resulting in serious injuries. To prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, the Mall of America is jointly pursuing policy changes with the affected family pertaining to trespass limits for violent criminals.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Ehline Law Mall Accident Attorneys
If you suffered serious injuries on someone else’s property, contact us at (833) LETS-SUE for a free consultation, as you may be eligible for compensation.
