A San Antonio man is taking Ross Dress For Less to court, claiming the retailer's lack of security led to his injuries during a flash mob theft at their Austin Highway location. According to KENS 5, Douglas Brodie filed a lawsuit accusing the discount clothing store of negligence after suffering a serious injury when he was knocked to the ground by fleeing shoplifters on March 20, 2022.
Brodie's lawsuit seeks damages ranging from $250,000 to $1 million for medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, and lost earnings. The action, which has been filed in state District Court seeks to hold the retailer accountable for not having "adequate staff or security in place to deter or prevent shoplifting or flash mob thefts," a type of crime which, has seen an uptick in popularity partly due to social media exposure, as stated in the suit. Despite the claim, Ross has not responded to the allegations and had not been served with the suit at the time of the reports by MSN.
The case hinges on whether the store had ample warning or knowledge that such incidents could occur, putting customers like Brodie at risk. The details of Brodie's injuries have not been disclosed, though they are described as serious head injuries after his fall on the concrete. "The Ross Dress For Less case is going to come down to, what did the store know when Mr. Douglas Brodie was injured? Did it have enough information based on the past that it should have known that Mr. Brodie and others like him were in danger simply by being in the store in the checkout line?" Tom Crosley, a trial lawyer not associated with the lawsuit, told KENS 5.
Last year, recognizing the increased concern over retail thefts, the Texas House’s Committee on Business and Industry reported an "increasing in intensity" trend of organized retail theft on Texas businesses. State legislation responded by establishing the Organized Retail Theft Task Force to combat the issue, even though Texas has seen fewer of these incidents compared to states like California and Illinois. "We have all seen the shocking images of organized mobs ransacking outlets in California, Illinois, and other states. While Texas has seen fewer of these instances, we are not immune," said State Comptroller Glenn Hegar in a MSN report.
