The last thing that a Florida shopper expects when they go shopping is to pick up an item at a store and get bitten by a bat. As humorous as this may seem, a Texas woman doesn’t see this as a laughing matter. In fact, she is suing Home Depot after suffering mental anguish from this very incident.
The incident occurred in Longview, Texas, in January 2013 when the woman was shopping at a local Home Depot. When she picked up a cinder block, a bat emerged, biting her. The severity of her injuries is unknown. The woman is now suing, claiming that there were previous cases of wild animals – including bats – inhabiting the store. In her lawsuit, she is claiming that the retail chain should have made the store safer for customers, considering the situation.
The woman filed a premises liability claim in the Eastern District of Texas against Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. It is unknown exactly how much in damages she is seeking, but she is requesting financial compensation for medical bills, mental anguish, pain and suffering, physical impairment, disfigurement and court costs.
Is it up to a business owner to keep a retail environment free of wild animals? Surely nobody expects to wind up having to seek medical treatment after a routine shopping trip, but is this a situation Home Depot could have avoided? If the claims about previous instances of wild animals are in fact true, then the retailer should have taken appropriate measures to keep the store free of animals, especially dangerous ones.
Those who are injured in a retail store have the legal right to discuss the incident with a personal injury lawyer. This professional can determine if a client has a solid case and inform him or her of the next steps.
Source:
The Southeast Texas Record, “Suit claims woman bitten by bat at Home Depot” Michelle Keahey, Sep. 06, 2013
