You never know what kinds of hazards you are going to face while you are shopping. Most shoppers never expect to stop at the grocery store to get a few things for dinner or to do some last minute holiday shopping which results in having to go to the emergency room.
For one man, that is exactly what happened. He was shopping at Walmart when his foot got caught in a pallet that was holding cases of watermelons. The man fell and shattered his hip. This accident occurred in 2015. He was recently awarded $7.5 million by a jury who found that the mass merchant was liable for the man’s injury.
The interesting point about this case is that the man wasn’t the only shopper whose foot was caught by the hidden pallet. Instead, his attorney was able to show security footage of other shoppers also having their foot get caught by the open side of the pallet. The difference is that the other shoppers didn’t fall and shatter a hip.
The 59-year-old was awarded a total of $5 million in punitive damages and $2.5 million in compulsory damages. His case noted that he now has to use a walker to get around, but he would play basketball several times a week with his friends before the accident.
This man was injured because the mass retailer didn’t take the time or initiative to protect customers by using pallet guards. He opted to hold the company accountable for that negligence. Other people who are injured while shopping might opt to hold the store where they suffer an injury accountable.
Source: FindLaw, “Walmart Watermelon-Buying Injury Nets Alabama Man $7.5M,” Christopher Coble, Esq., accessed Nov. 17, 2017