Grandmother sues Dollar Tree after dress is rearranged in slip and fall incident

A 55-year-old grandmother has filed a lawsuit against Dollar Tree Stores Inc. after a slip and fall incident caused a "compromise in modesty."

Sandra Harrell filed suit on Oct. 20 in federal court in New Orleans.

The alleged incident occurred while Harrell and her grandson were shopping at the Dollar Tree in Covington on Dec. 6, 2010. She states that she had left her grandson at the checkout counter and went to an aisle to grab a forgotten item, when she stepped on some clear, slick liquid and fell. She claims she injured her hip and right knee and laid on the floor with her dress laying in way that compromised her modesty. While she was on the floor, she saw a line of clear liquid running up the aisle.

Harrell states that no employee offered her assistance or even helped to re-arrange her dress to cover her. She was left to lie where she fell, until her 10-year-old grandson covered her with her dress and ran to get his mother to help.

The defendant is accused of negligence for failing to properly train or supervise employees in cleanup operations and policies and in responding to an on-site injury, failing to properly monitor its store for dangerous conditions, failing to warn of dangerous conditions caused by the liquids on the polished concrete and for failing to timely clean spilled liquids.

The defendant is also accused of negligence for failing to make any effort to assist Harrell or to cover Harrell with her dress after the fall, causing significant embarrassment and emotional trauma, failing to timely correct the dangerous condition after having knowledge of its existence, and for failing to create a safe shopping environment by utilizing flooring which is unreasonably dangerous when it is wet.

The plaintiff is seeking more than $75,000 in damages for lost wages, pain and suffering, embarrassment, emotional trauma, medical expenses, plus interest and court costs.

Harrell is represented by Aaron Ahlquist of Herman, Herman, Katz & Cotlar in New Orleans. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:11-cv-02635