A Santa Rosa, California woman has filed a $14.1 million lawsuit against Costco, alleging she suffered a traumatic brain injury when a display cabinet fell on her inside one of the retailer’s stores.
Sadie Novotny filed the lawsuit on April 29 in California Superior Court for Alameda County, accusing Costco of negligence in how it managed merchandise.
On June 5, the case was moved to the United States District Court for Northern California at the request of Costco’s legal team, according to court records.
According to the lawsuit, Novotny was shopping at the Santa Rosa Costco on March 22 when a heavy liquor cabinet floor display “fell on top of her without warning.”
A Costco incident report included in the complaint states that Novotny and her husband were in the process of buying a liquor cabinet when the floor model collapsed onto her.
Though she managed to catch and push the cabinet back, she reported immediate pain in her right shoulder, forearm, hand, fingers, and lower back.
The complaint says she sustained “multiple, permanent and catastrophic” injuries, including a head and traumatic brain injury.
Novotny’s lawsuit accuses Costco of multiple legal violations, including general negligence, premises liability, and products liability.
The filing alleges that Costco “negligently failed to adequately manage and or operate their store and or their merchandise.” It further claims the company “negligently failed to train, manage and supervise their employees,” which ultimately contributed to the incident.
The cabinet itself, the complaint states, was “in a dangerous and/or precarious position” due to its thin legs and its placement on a worn wooden pallet.
Novotny is seeking a total of $14,110,000 in damages. This amount includes $5 million for emotional distress, $5 million for pain, suffering, and inconvenience, $2 million for future medical expenses, and $2 million for loss of future earning capacity.
Additionally, Novotny is claiming $50,000 for medical expenses incurred to date, $50,000 for lost earnings to date, and $10,000 for the loss of household services.
(USA Today)
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then