Women Filing Lawsuit Against Sawgrass Mills After Car Damaged During Flooding

While Sawgrass Mills remained closed on Friday due to flooding from this week’s storms, one woman who claims she was injured when her car went into a ditch during the wet weather is taking the mega mall to court.

Breania White and her attorney, Sam Coffey, say they are filing a lawsuit against the company who owns the Sunrise complex, Simon Property Group.

"It was a nightmare. It was very scary," White said.

White told NBC 6 she was trying to park Tuesday near the Home Depot located on the southeast side of the mall near Flamingo Road when her Ford Fiesta went into a ditch that was filling with water from the storms – with over a foot of rain reported in the area this week.

"I turn into the parking lot and within two seconds I'm literally in the parking lot and as I turn I'm in a lake," she said.

She went to the emergency room at Plantation General Hospital two days later, where White was diagnosed with a pinched nerve in her neck and pneumonia.

The woman says she was trying to park at Sawgrass Mills on Tuesday when her car went into a ditch due to the floods.

"I'm fighting my way out of my car and my car just sinks and shuts down and I hear like a big old boom sound in my car so I panic," White said. "I open my door, so I close it back cause when I close my door it's like a lake down there."

Coffey said her client is suing for medical costs and repairs to her car, with White adding she feels there should be signage to warn people in the event of flooding. Some entrances to the mall were blocked with cones due to the conditions.

NBC 6 has reached out to officials with Sawgrass Mills, who said it is their policy not to comment on litigation.

NBC 6’s Laura Rodriguez reports from the flooded Sawgrass Mills Mall which was forced to close its doors Wednesday.

The mall was closed for the third straight day due to flooding, but will reopen Saturday at 10 a.m.

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