I have no sympathy for Deborah J. Golden. She should have known better. Many consumers now realize that thousands of shoppers are injured by falling merchandise each year in stores like Wal-Mart, which stack their merchandise high enough to do some real damage. According to the Chicago Sun-Times of 12/28, Deborah J. Golden has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart because it “failed to warn its patrons of hazards…created by the removal of merchandise from shelves without assistance.” Where has Golden been? Two years ago, while shopping at a Wal-Mart store in East Dundee, IL, Golden was removing a vacuum cleaner from a shelf and a box fell on her face, breaking her nose. Golden is seeking unspecified damages from Wal-Mart.
For more than you want to know about “falling merchandise” cases at Wal-Mart, go to www.walmartsurvivor.com. Tens of thousands of such personal injury cases occur annually. It could easily take Golden five years or longer just to get her case heard — not to mention any appeals that will take place. See this newsflash page (below) for other cases of injuries at superstores.
