An incident in which a man slipped on dog feces at a PetsMart store in Newport News, Virginia (VA), has proved to be costly for the retail chain.
Robert W. Holloway, of Poquoson, Virginia, and PetSmart, which runs the store on Jefferson Avenue in the Patrick Henry area, arrived at the undisclosed terms out of court, according to a notice filed with U.S. District Court in Newport News. Holloway hurt his back when he slipped on dog feces at the store, the Daily Press reported.
Holloway sued PetSmart last March for $1 million. He claimed he was walking in the store with his daughter one day in January 2009 when he slipped on the feces. It happened, he said, as he walked around a wire display crate in the center aisle to head toward the back of the store.
Slips may seem to be minor but they can have serious health effects on the victim.
Last year we reported on a how a Colorado (CO) jury awarded $15 million to a truck driver who slipped when he was was making a delivery to a Wal-Mart. The driver suffered a slip and fall injury from grease and ice that was outside the store. The grease leaked from a deli that featured a device that was supposed to capture grease before it made it outside, according to ABC News. The truck driver suffered serious spinal cord injuries and was unable to continue working in the same position. Fortunately, the trucker sought legal counsel and filed a slip and fall injury claim.
In another serious slip and fall case Beverly Munguia was seriously injured when she slipped on the floor of a McDonalds restaurant when she went to get a beverage for her husband. She suffered life altering injuries, including burst compression fracture of her vertebrae. As a result, she now suffers from chronic pain and a severe bend in her back. Management at this McDonalds did not follow safety rules for an extended period of time which caused a greasy film to form on the floor.
Our firm fully appreciates the challenges associated with slip and fall injury cases. The at-fault business owners are not eager to settle these claims and usually take them all the way to court. Our lawyers are experts in this area.
DM