A recent court filing has thrust a major retail chain into the spotlight over allegations of negligence that led to significant injuries for a customer. The complaint, filed by Riana Vorster in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in and for Pinellas County, Florida on June 12, 2024, targets BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. and an unnamed store manager at its Clearwater location.

According to the court documents, Vorster’s lawsuit stems from an incident on April 15, 2023, when she visited the BJ’s Wholesale Club as a business invitee. While walking through the parking lot of the store located at 26996 US HWY 19N in Clearwater, she tripped over an uneven piece of cement or curb. This fall resulted in serious injuries that Vorster claims have caused her pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, permanent scarring, loss of enjoyment of life, medical expenses, and lost earnings.

Vorster alleges that both BJ’s Wholesale Club and its store manager failed in their duty to maintain a safe environment for customers. The complaint asserts that the store manager was responsible for daily operations and ensuring the premises were kept clean and safe. It accuses them of failing to conduct reasonable periodic inspections to discover and remove dangerous hazards before they could cause injury to business invitees like Vorster.