A woman in Florence, South Carolina, who underwent several amputations after stepping on a rusty nail inside a Walmart has been awarded $10 million, her lawyers said.
A news release from the Anastopoulo Law Firm said the incident took place in June 2015 at the store located on Beltline Drive in Florence, WMBF reported Tuesday.
April Jones was hurt due to the nail being in the middle aisle of the store, which resulted in an infection, surgery, and three different amputations.
The woman has reportedly been wheelchair-bound for the past six years after losing the majority of her right leg.
The jury deliberated for just under two hours before coming back with the $10 million verdict last week, according to the WMBF report.
“The weakness of Walmart’s case, among other things, was their failure to produce a video that they claim showed their conforming behavior to a company policy calling for employees to perform regular safety sweeps,” the press release noted.
“No such evidence was presented for the duration of the five-day-long trial,” it continued.
The law firm said Walmart’s expert testified during cross-examination the nail did cause the injury.
Stepping on a nail is considered a common injury that results in a puncture wound, according to Medical News Today.
However, such a wound may appear small, but because it can go deep into a person’s skin, may be difficult to clean and potentially become infected.
“Initially, a puncture wound may not look serious, as they often bleed more internally than externally. However, as nails on the ground are often dirty, they can push soil, rust, wood, or clothing fibers into the foot,” the article read.
The signs of an infection included soreness, inflammation, swelling, pus buildup, warmth, fever, and redness.
According to her lawyers, the money will help Jones buy a prosthetic, update her home to be more handicap accessible, and cover her medical bills.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.