A man who tripped and fell at a large chain store while purchasing a watermelon has won a $7.5 million verdict against the store.
The incident happened in Alabama, and a local jury decided the premises liability lawsuit in his favor, awarding him $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
According to AL.com, the plaintiff was shopping at a when he reached into a container to pull out a watermelon to put in his shopping card. However, he reportedly tripped and his foot became lodged in a wooden pallet that was the floor. He fell, suffering numerous injuries, including a broken hip. According to plaintiff attorneys, the container of watermelons was situated on a wooden pallet that was not visible upon approach. Although plaintiff didn’t step onto the wooden pallet, his foot slid into a side opening as he pulled out the melon and got stuck. Then when he turned to put the melon the cart, his foot was immobile and he fell. Continue reading ›