Forty years ago, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank opened The Home Depot stores for, what they called the self-reliant, resilient, and tirelessly optimistic customers. Marcus and Blank intended to provide customers with the products, services, and knowledge necessary to create their dream homes. The Home Depot offers customers a warehouse-style shopping experience where they can expect the best assortment, quantities, prices, and help from trained associates. The Home Depot, which started with only two stores in Atlanta, currently accounts for 2,200 stores in three different countries.
Customers can definitely find all the products, services, and knowledge they need. But does the store offer clients a guarantee of safety? The Home Depot is essentially a warehouse. A warehouse often involves potentially dangerous machinery, like forklifts. The Home Depot contains high shelving that usually houses very heavy material. The Home Depot has a history of customers getting injured and even dying while shopping. An accomplished attorney who has experience in Home Depot accident cases can give you more information if you contact the top-rated Normandie Law Firm today.
Past Incidents
The store’s warehouse setting seems to attract incidents. In general, before entering a warehouse, a visitor will be given safety gear—like hardhats or high visibility vests. The heavy merchandise can create hazards that customers are not entirely aware of. Many incidents have not made it out to the public due to confidentiality agreements, but our skilled attorneys with experience in Home Depot accident cases have some examples. Here are a few The Home Depot incidents:
- Mary Margaret Penturff, age 79, was shopping for patio lattice along with her daughter. A 75-pound box of wood fell from a 20-foot shelf onto Penturff. The fatal incident left her bleeding on the floor with a head wound.
- The Horner Family was shopping for some things for their new home. In an instant, more than 2,000 pounds of material fell about 10 feet from a forklift. The material crushed the Horner’s three-year-old daughter, splitting the main blood vessel in her brain and breaking bones throughout her body.
- Jerry Mead, age 41, and his brother were shopping when 2,000 pounds of landscaping timbers began falling. Jerry mead was instantly killed; his brother was seriously injured.
All of these incidents resulted in the victim’s death. These three examples involved heavy merchandise falling onto customers. What about slip and fall incidents?
Past Slip and Fall Incidents
In 2002, a woman injured her knee with her shopping cart. The shopping cart tipped over after it hit a manhole cover that was hidden by water. Although The Home Depot claimed that the danger was open and obvious, the jury found that the store was to blame. Home Depot paid the woman $950,000 for her injuries.
In 2011, a woman sued The Home Depot after she slipped on an undisclosed substance and fell. The store deleted video surveillance of the store from the day of the woman’s accident. Home Depot paid the victim $44,383.61.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries account for 9 million emergency room visits. Injuries can vary depending on the fall. Most people are not severely injured, but the risk of serious injury is always prevalent. Here are 10 of the most common slip and fall injuries in no particular order:
- Bruising — this type of injury can be superficial. A bruise will heal by its own. Bruises can also be a sign of a broken bone.
- Cut and abrasions — these injuries are superficial and require only a few stitches and bandages to treat
- Head injuries — these injuries can vary from minor to severe. A slip and fall victim may suffer from a concussion that will heal with a few days of rest. It is possible for a victim’s head injury to be so severe that he or she develops a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI can cause permanent brain damage leading to seizures, mood changes, and cognitive impairment. TBIs can also cause death.
- Hip fractures — these injuries are common in older victims. Hip fractures can be extremely painful. Victims usually require surgery to repair the damage, along with intense physical therapy.
- Back injuries — these injuries can be difficult to treat. Back injuries, like herniated discs, can require many different pain-relieving medications. Surgical intervention may be necessary if medication does not relieve the victim’s pain.
- Spinal cord injuries — these injuries are very dangerous. A fall may strain the spine and result in spinal compression. If nerves are compressed, the victim will experience pain along with tingling and numbing sensations. There are different types of spinal cord injuries. Lumbar injuries can cause pain and weakness in the legs. Cervical injuries can cause complete paralysis.
- Shoulder injuries — the most common type of shoulder injury is dislocation. A sudden impact against something (like the floor) can move the shoulder out of its place.
- Broken Bones — these injuries are due to the force of fall, combined with the force of impact, and the position of the body.
- Fractures — these injuries occur due to unnatural movements or excess of force, just like sprains.
- Sprains — these injuries commonly occur in wrists and ankles. A fall may cause a foot to get stuck somewhere, or an ankle to twist in an unnatural way. Also, wrists can become sprained as it is a normal reaction to try to catch our falls. If a sprain is left untreated, a victim may experience chronic pain.
If you suffered any of these injuries, contact a qualified attorney with expertise in Home Depot injury lawsuits to start the legal process and earn compensation.
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can be caused by many different factors. Below is a list of some of the causes of slip and fall accidents:
- Wet floors or recently mopped/waxed floors
- Loose wiring
- Cluttered floors
- Uneven surfaces
- Defective sidewalks and potholes in parking lots
An employee may have been able to prevent your injury. Such factors like wet floors and cluttered floors can be quickly addressed and cleaned up. However, many employees do not think of potential risks.
Your injury may be a result of employee negligence or store negligence. Stores are supposed to be constantly maintained to ensure the safety of both workers and customers. If the employee was responsible, Home Depot is automatically responsible for vicarious liability. Additionally, a store owner or manager may not deny knowledge of the cause of the injury. He or she has a duty to actively look for and address possible dangerous situations; therefore, knowledge of the existence of the cause of the accident in imputed to the store owner or manager.
If your injury is a result of negligence, our top law firm can sue Home Depot for your injuries. Reach out to an expert lawyer experienced in Home Depot accident cases today.
Reviews from Real Clients
After my injury at a Home Depot, Normandie Law Firm came through. They provided me with all the information that I needed to successfully pursue my injury claim and get the payout that I was owed.
Sam L.
If you are looking to sue Home Depot after an injury at one of their locations, this team is the team for you. They are more than ready to represent you and help you recover the highest amount of compensation available for your injury claim.
Paul F.
The guys at Normandie handled my Home Depot injury claim effectively and was able to get me an amazing settlement. Thank you so much.
Sandra G.
I don’t know how my Home Depot injury claim would’ve been successful without the help of this amazing team here at Normandie. They are truly the best lawyers around.
Saul C.
Establishing Negligence
If your injury is the result of negligent behavior, you may be eligible for compensation. There are four elements to determining negligence.
- Duty: The store employees and managers owe a duty to ensure customers are safe.
- Breach: The store employees and managers breach their duty by failing to remove hazards.
- Cause: The breach of duty causes an accident.
- Harm: The accident results in an injury to the customer.
If you believe your accident and injuries were caused by negligence, contact a top trip and fall attorney with Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.
Contact Us
If you slipped and fell at a Home Depot store, you need to contact our Los Angeles firm to talk to our attorneys with experience handling Home Depot slip and fall accidents.
Normandie Law Firm offers experienced lawyers who have presided over Home Depot slip and fall cases in Los Angeles. If you are injured and are planning to sue Home Depot for a slip and fall accident, contact us today to schedule a free consultation. It does not matter if you already have an attorney with another firm. If you are in any way dissatisfied with the way they are handling your case, you can schedule a free second opinion with one of our trusted attorneys in Los Angeles, CA.
Our law firm offers clients a Zero-Fee guarantee. You do not have to worry about paying any upfront fees out of pocket. Additionally, our firm is strictly based on contingency, so you do not have to pay anything until our lawyers win your case. Contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible; remember, you only have two years to submit a personal injury claim.
Premises Verdicts and Settlements
Our experienced injury lawyers have successfully recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. Below, we present to you a brief list of our more recent slip and fall, and premises liability verdicts and settlements. If you have any questions regarding your slip and fall case, feel free to contact our law office.
