Who is liable? Do we have a case?

[TErrie314]

My husband was parked in the parking lot where he works. It is in a strip mall owned by a local businessman. The grocery store he works for is a medium sized company. Someone drove up to his van and maliciously either shot the window out with a pellet gun or took a hammer to it. A co-worker jokingly stated that it was probably meant for him and that they mistook my husband's van for his SUV which are the same color. We had to pay $250 hard-earned dollars for our deductible because it was a side window, not the windshield. Do we have a case? Could the landlord be liable, the cpmany he works for?
Thanks for your help!

 

[NYClex]

Hm, this is tricky. Almost everybody who owns a parking lot nowadays posts a sign somewhere that anyone parking there does it on his own risk and that the owner is not responsible for damages, theft, etc. First, have a look if something like this has been posted there.

Then, this is not really a foreseeable danger, this is pure vandalism, not just an old lady who didn't manage to find her brakes in time or some more foreseeable event on a parking lot, therefore it would be arguable if the owner should be responsible even if he didn't post any such notice.

What I would do is approach the employer carefully and ask if they might help with the bill since it was on their lot. May be they are sympathetic without having to acknowledge any legal responsibility.