Charles Plump, a resident of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, has filed a lawsuit against Walmart, Inc., claiming negligence after suffering injuries from a fall at one of its stores. The complaint was filed on March 31, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Plump alleges that Walmart's failure to maintain safe premises led to his accident and subsequent injuries.
The incident occurred on November 27, 2024, when Charles Plump visited the Walmart Supercenter located at 4301 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans. While shopping for a belt and slippers for Thanksgiving dinner, Plump encountered an obstruction in the aisle—a pallet of merchandise with plastic binding material hanging off it. As he attempted to navigate around this hazard, he slipped on the plastic and fell violently onto his right side, sustaining severe injuries including a fractured collarbone.
Plump asserts that Walmart employees had begun unloading merchandise from the pallet but left it partially obstructing the aisle with hazardous plastic binding material lying on the floor. He claims that this created an unreasonable risk of slipping and falling for customers like himself. "Walmart’s employees knew or should have known that leaving such materials in the aisle posed a foreseeable risk," states the complaint.
The lawsuit accuses Walmart of several acts of negligence: failing to maintain safe aisles, neglecting to remove dangerous obstacles, improperly managing merchandise unloading processes, and not warning customers about potential hazards. Plump contends that these failures directly caused his injuries and seeks compensation for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.
In addition to seeking monetary damages exceeding $75,000 exclusive of interest and costs due to diversity jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §1332, Plump is also requesting judicial interest from the date of demand until paid along with all associated legal costs. He invokes the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur—suggesting that such accidents typically do not occur without negligence—and reserves the right to amend his complaint as necessary.
Representing Charles Plump are attorneys Donald D’Aunoy Jr., Brett Powers, and Brandi N. Cormier from the Law Office of Donald D’Aunoy Jr., LLC based in Kenner, Louisiana. The case is being presided over by Judge LMA-JVM under Case ID 2:25-cv-00624-LMA-JVM.