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Why are injuries so common at Kroger?

At a Kroger just outside Atlanta, a woman reached into a refrigerated display case and ended up with more than $6,000 in medical bills. She was shopping for cream cheese. Unfortunately, a cascade of biscuit tubes came loose and hit her in the face. She suffered scratches to her cornea, and complains of ongoing headaches and neck pain. She is suing for more than $1 million in damages.

Will she be compensated for her injuries? Previous incidents indicate it’s likely that Kroger will have to pay at least some financial damages.

Kroger’s Georgia outlets are hotspots for injuries

While injuries that stem from falling biscuits are fairly unique, shoppers are hurt with alarming frequency at Kroger’s Georgia locations. In the last five years, the chain has paid more than $5 million to compensate injury victims. The majority of settlements and verdicts have arisen from slip-and-fall scenarios. State law mandates that businesses and property owners keep their premises properly maintained — and their visitors safe from harm. Yet slippery floors and other hazards seem to be a feature of Kroger outlets.

Both implicitly and explicitly, the chain acknowledges its faults. Some suits it settles quickly, admitting responsibility for any injuries and paying victims’ medical bills. At times, though, Kroger challenges victims in court. It has even attempted — unsuccessfully — to destroy evidence in its efforts to avoid paying restitution. Needless to say, injuries figure as a major problem for the company’s bottom line.

What will happen in the current case?

Whether the woman injured by the falling biscuits will receive financial damages has yet to be determined. She originally brought the lawsuit in 2015, but withdrew it owing to a lack of evidence. In the meantime, however, her lawyers have accumulated the facts they believe they need to obtain a successful result.

-Brad Houck

Thu Mar 30, 7:44pm Share on Social Media