Two New Slip & Fall Lawsuits Raise Serious Safety Questions
Two major new slip and fall lawsuits have raised serious questions about the safety conditions at one of America’s largest stores and a prestigious university in South Carolina.
Walmart Accused Of Negligence In Slip & Fall Case
A widow from Michigan has filed a new slip and fall lawsuit against Walmart, accusing the national retail giant of failing to properly maintain the premises of a Jonesville superstore, according to MLive.
Widow Blames Slip & Fall For Husband’s Death
In court documents filed on August 17, 2018, Pamala Secord demands financial compensation in excess of $25,000 for the death of her loving husband, James Secord. Originally filed in Hillsdale County Circuit Court, the lawsuit claims that the death of James Secord, 67, can be attributed to a slip and fall accident that occurred at Walmart’s Jonesville store on May 27, 2018. This is not the first slip and fall claim to be filed against Walmart.
The case’s plaintiff claims her husband suffered severe injuries after exiting his vehicle in the superstore’s automotive service department on Olds Street. After stepping out of his car, court documents state, James Secord tripped on a “concrete defect” on the floor, which caused him to fall.
Husband Suffered Severe Injuries
As a result of the fall, Secord suffered numerous injuries, including a broken wrist, fractured ribs, contusions and abrasions and blood clots. He died four days later, on June 1, 2018, succumbing to his injuries and leaving behind his wife of 48 years, Pamala Secord.
In her lawsuit, Secord argues that her husband’s untimely death occurred as a result of the injuries he suffered in the fall. She accuses Walmart of failing to maintain its property and committing negligence, since the concrete defect on which her husband tripped had never been repaired.
On October 17, 2018, the lawsuit was moved to the U.S. District Court for the Western District, a federal court, since Walmart is a nationwide business.
Clemson Faces Suit Over 2017 Parking Lot Slip & Fall
In a second blockbuster lawsuit, a woman from South Carolina accuses Clemson University of failing to properly maintain a parking lot ahead of a football game against Boston College last year, The State reports.
In court documents, the plaintiff claims that she slipped and fell on September 23, 2017 in a handicap parking lot near the university president’s home, suffering severe injuries and emotional trauma.
Anne Morlino had come to the parking lot to pick up a shuttle from the president’s residence to Memorial Stadium, where the Clemson Tigers were set to face off against Boston College. But as she walked from her car to a designated area with a waiting bus, she “slipped, tripped, and fell” on “pine straw and other debris” near the bus boarding area, the lawsuit reports.
As a result of the fall, Morlino suffered bone fractures, including a broken wrist and hip, for which she required multiple surgeries. She also suffers from ongoing pain in her upper and lower extremities, she claims. In addition, Morlino claims to have suffered permanent impairments in her left arm and left hip, along with permanent scarring and disfigurement.
Woman Claims Negligence Led To Fall
In her lawsuit, the plaintiff accuses Clemson University (along with the city of Clemson) of negligence on multiple counts. She says the University failed to take reasonable actions to correct the debris that had gathered near the boarding area for the shuttle bus, while also failing to warn Morlino and other shuttle-goers of the hazards created by the debris. She also claims that Clemson failed to properly inspect the premises for unsafe hazardous conditions and failed to properly maintain the parking lot.
When pressed for a response by The State, a Clemson University spokesman declined to comment.