Can Businesses Be Blamed for Murder? Washington Court Reaffirms That Retailer Is Not Liable for Unforeseeable Third-Party Criminal Acts

A recent ruling out of the Thurston County Superior Court is a welcome reminder for retailers, property owners, and the attorneys who represent them: Washington law does not require businesses to predict and prevent every conceivable criminal act on their premises. In granting summary judgment and dismissing all claims against our client—a grocery retailer—the court reaffirmed the well-established principle that liability for third-party criminal conduct requires more than a generalized history…
By: Miller Nash LLP