Biker, Hiker & Climber wins $3.2 million Fairfax jury verdict
A woman who biked, hiked and climbed in China, Europe and throughout the United States sued IKEA after 350 pounds of countertops fell and crushed her pelvis. Doug Landau reports that this 36-year-old Arlington woman’s case was heard nearly 3 years after she was injured. The hiker, biker and climber has had a metal plates surgically placed in her pelvis. The trial lasted 3 days, with deliberations by the Fairfax County Circuit Court jury lasting about 3 hours according to plaintiffs lawyer and friend, Ed Weiner. The counter sections were only restrained by a bungee cord, according to the WJLA television report of the case. No one testified as to how much weight the bungee could hold. IKEA’s defense lawyer, Joseph Giordano, who ABRAMS LANDAU clients, career day students and family have seen in Court, did not return a call by the Washington Post for its coverage.
This case is important because it shows that consumer safety is important and the big box retail stores need to secure large merchandise and dangerous, tippable displays. Leesburg and Manassas injury and disability trial lawyer Doug Landau has tried cases against the big box retailers. In one ABRAMS LANDAU case, our client was struck when storm windows, improperly stacked like in Mr. Weiner’s case, fell on our elderly client. Instead of being stacked sideways, where they could not fall on anyone, they were set facing out toward the shopping aisle, and they were unsecured by the chain that normally held the merchandise in place. This is a great result by the WEINER, RHORSTAF & SPIVEY firm, with whom we have worked successfully on several cases. Shown here are Doug Landau, Ed Weiner…
