Restaurant not liable for criminal attack on patron

Mauricio Veal was attacked and robbed in the Defendant, V. Veseli,Inc.'s restaurant.  He filed suit claiming that the restaurant's employees were negligent in allowing the several men responsible for the attack to loiter on its premises and in failing to promptly seek police support.  The Court of Appeals pointed to uncontradicted testimony documenting that no one had anticipated the attack and that Mr. Veal left the establishment immediately after the attack to follow his assailants. 

Under these circumstances, there was no factual support for Mr. Veal's claims that the attack should have been prevented or that delayed police contact caused him injury.  Several years ago, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that commercial establishments in Michigan do not owe a duty to anticipate criminal behavior by providing security guards, enhanced lighting or other security measures, in the MacDonald v. PKT, Inc., case:  "A merchant can assume that patrons will obey the criminal law."