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$3.2M Verdict in Fairfax for woman injured in IKEA when merchandise fell on her

Our client was a customer in the As-Is section of the IKEA store in Woodbridge, Virginia.  That's where IKEA sells its damaged and returned items, so merchandise is available for the customers to inspect before they buy, since they cannot return it.  Our client was standing near a tall cabinet where several counter and table tops were stored.  Taller tops were leaning up against the outside of the cabinet because they would not fit inside.  Those tall, heavy tops came crashing down on our client -- over 350 pounds of wood and other materials.  Her pelvis was broken in two places, and she suffered a fracture of her sacrum.  She had two surgeries.   The first procedure was to insert a metal device to stabilize her pelvis; the secondn was to remove the metal hardware.  She has two very large, prominent scars on her back.  Our client has had pain every day since the incident.  She is a petite woman and is very concerned about getting pregnant and then caring for her baby. Her concerns were backed up by a gynocologist. 

We sued IKEA because it had created the dangerous method of displaying merchandise in a way that was a hazard to its customers.  IKEA denied liability. 

We tried the case to a jury in Fairfax County and asked the jury to balance the harms and losses suffered by our client the only way our system allows:  by paying her enough money to create balance.  After hearing three days of evidence, the jury was out for 2 hours before returning its verdict of $3,200,000.

Labels: Fairfax fall IKEA injury merchandise pelvis store Woodbridge