Shopper is Permanently Injured by Falling Merchandise

Case Overview

This case takes place in Texas and involves a man who was injured while shopping in the electronics department of a major retail chain. At the time of the accident, the plaintiff had been attempting to remove a boxed flat screen TV from its shelf. As the man struggled to remove the TV from its place on the shelf and place it into his cart, he managed to destabilize the entire shelving unit, causing a large amount of heavy merchandise to fall directly on his head. As a result of the accident, the plaintiff has suffered a number of permanent and debilitating injuries, including brain damage, and will require a lifetime of ongoing care.

Questions to the Security expert and their responses

Are you familiar with appropriate techniques for managing stocking and stacking of merchandise?

I oversaw approximately 300 retail outlets of a major warehouse store brand, during which time I was responsible for accident prevention and compliance. Stacking regulations and policies did fall under my purview.

Have you served as a supervisor for stacking and shelving in a retail store?

I oversaw approximately 300 retail outlets of a major warehouse store brand, during which time I was responsible for accident prevention and compliance.

Can you opine as to the safe stacking of merchandise in retail stores?

A situation as described in the case above should never be allowed to happen, and it seems like there were several failures on the part of the store which all contributed to this unfortunate accident. Merchandise should be stacked and stored appropriately, with visible warnings indicating the danger posed by falling merchandise to the shopper.

What makes you qualified to serve as an expert on this case?

I oversaw approximately 300 retail outlets of a major warehouse store brand, during which time I was responsible for accident prevention and compliance.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert is OSHA certified in Occupational Safety Training and he formerly served in various Directorial positions at both Sam's Club and Walmart. His area of expertise includes but is not limited to asset protection, security, safety, investigations, regulatory compliance, training and development, and general strategic planning. During his time at Sam's club he was in charge of approximately 300 stores where he was responsible for designing and implementing safety protocol and processes.