A slip-and-fall incident at a major retail store has led to a legal battle in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. On November 8, 2024, Robert Merheb filed a complaint against The Home Depot USA, Inc., and The Home Depot, Inc., alleging negligence that resulted in personal injuries. This case highlights the ongoing concerns regarding customer safety in large retail environments.
According to the complaint filed by Robert Merheb through his attorney Peter V. Bustamante, the incident occurred on November 14, 2022, at approximately 1:00 p.m. Merheb was visiting the Home Depot store located at 950 IL Route 59 in Bartlett, Illinois. As a business invitee, he had every reason to expect a safe shopping environment. However, due to alleged negligence on the part of Home Depot employees who allowed glossy promotional posters to fall onto the floor without warning signs or removal efforts, Merheb slipped and fell.
The lawsuit claims that Home Depot failed in its duty to maintain a reasonably safe environment for its customers. “At all times pertinent,” states the complaint, “defendant Home Depot knew or should have known that leaving posters on aisles used by customers presented an unreasonable risk of harm.” The plaintiff accuses Home Depot of several negligent acts including failing to maintain safe premises, neglecting to remove hazards such as fallen posters from aisles, and not providing adequate training for employees to prevent such risks.
Merheb is seeking judgment against Home Depot for damages exceeding $75,000 along with coverage for court costs. He argues that his injuries are directly attributable to Home Depot’s failure to exercise ordinary care in maintaining their premises and ensuring customer safety. The lawsuit underscores various lapses such as lack of warning signs about potential hazards and inadequate employee training which contributed to this unfortunate event.
This article was first published in Cook County Record.
