Injury Caused by Unstable Store Display

I’m David Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

Today’s episode is prompted by a report a couple of months ago that a California woman sued a big box store for millions of dollars, alleging that a heavy liquor cabinet display fell on her, causing multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.

These types of display-related injuries are more common than you might think.

We are currently pursuing a case for a client where a display item in a general store fell from a top shelf while a stocker was shelving bottles of detergent in an aisle adjacent to where our client was shopping with her child.  The injuries include a severe shoulder injury and a concussion (a type of traumatic brain injury).

Recent cases that we have concluded have included similar display items falling on customers.

Like the case in the news, one case involved a box of champagne falling on our client’s shoulder and neck.

Another case that comes to mind involved a roll of carpet that was stood upright against a wall that fell and struck our client, breaking her arm.

Several years ago, a small child lost an eye when a store display near a checkout counter at a grocery store toppled over.

The display was not well secured, and store employees had recognized that it was wobbly and dangerous. However, the store manager instructed the employees to do nothing to better secure the display despite its hazardous condition.

As a result, a young boy lost vision in one of his eyes. Such an injury will impact his future earning ability as well as his ability to participate in sports and interfere with his usual daily activities for the rest of his life.

The lawsuit, reported a couple of months ago, involved a wholesaler that was accused of negligence, premises liability, and product liability.

No matter the legal label is applied, cases such as these all involve negligently failing to manage the store where the injuries occurred, and often involve a failure to train employees properly.

In each case of this type, the injured parties typically seek damages to cover past and future medical expenses, lost earnings, as well as emotional distress, and pain and suffering.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”