The plaintiff says she suffered a traumatic brain injury after the incident.
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A California woman is suing Costco for more than $14 million after a display cabinet fell on her at one of the wholesaler’s stores, causing severe injuries, she says.
Sadie Novotny of Santa Rosa, California, filed a lawsuit on April 29 alleging Costco acted negligently by failing to properly manage store merchandise, leading to her injuries.
The lawsuit was initially filed in California Superior Court for Alameda County, but was moved to the United States District Court for Northern California on June 5 at the request of Costco’s counsel, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY.
USA TODAY has reached out to Costco for comment.
Why is Costco being sued? Woman says display fell on her
Novotny’s lawsuit says that she was shopping at a Costco store in Santa Rosa, California, on March 22 when a heavy liquor cabinet display fell on her “without warning.”
The incident caused Novotny “multiple, permanent and catastrophic” injuries, including a head and traumatic brain injury, the lawsuit says.
According to a Costco incident report attached to the complaint, Novotny said she and her husband were buying a liquor cabinet when the floor model fell on top of her.
She caught the cabinet and pushed it back, but added that her right shoulder, forearm, hand, fingers and lower back hurt immediately after the incident, according to the report.
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Lawsuit alleges negligence, premises and product liability
In addition to general negligence, Novotny is also suing for premises liability and products liability.
In a personal injury lawsuit alleging premises liability, a property owner is responsible for any damages from an injury on their property, according to Justia. Products liability refers to defective consumer items, according to Cornell Law School.
The lawsuit alleges Costco “negligently failed to adequately manage and or operate their store and or their merchandise.” It also says the wholesaler “negligently failed to train, manage and supervise their employees,” which led to the cabinet injuring Novotny.
The cabinet was “in a dangerous and/or precarious position” in part because it had thin legs and was on a worn wooden pallet, the complaint says.
Woman asks for more than $14 million in damages in Costco lawsuit
Novotny is seeking $14,110,000 in damages, according to the lawsuit. They include:
- $5 million for emotional distress
- $5 million for pain, suffering and inconvenience
- $2 million for future medical expenses
- $2 million for loss of future earning capacity
- $50,000 for medical expenses to date
- $50,000 for loss of earnings to date
- $10,000 for loss of household services
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This story was updated to add a video.
