A customer at the O’Fallon Academy Sports + Outdoors store claims she was injured when a rack fell on her while she shopped.
Debra Fort filed the complaint Jan. 23 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Academy Sports + Outdoors.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges she visited the O’Fallon store located on W. Highway 50. She claims she was a customer looking at merchandise within the store on May 4 at approximately 6 p.m. She was allegedly looking at various patio equipment when a rack broke loose causing the equipment to fall on her.
Fort claims it was the defendant’s duty to maintain the racks holding merchandise so as not to negligently cause injury to customers.
She alleges the defendants negligently failed to provide a reasonably safe environment for customers to examine merchandise, improperly installed a rack system upon which merchandise was placed, and failed to properly secure merchandise so that it could be examined without falling upon customers.
As a result, Fort claims she suffered internal and external injuries, which aggravated pre-existing conditions. She also claims she endured physical pain and mental anguish, is prevented from attending to her usual duties and affairs and has incurred medical expenses.
Fort seeks a judgment of more than $50,000, plus court costs.
She is represented by Philip Rice of Rice Law Offices Ltd. in Bellville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 20-L-76