Sonoma County Woman Sues Costco for Millions After She's Pinned Under Display Cabinet

A Sonoma County woman is suing Costco after a heavy liquor cabinet display fell on her while she was shopping. According to SFGate, Sadie Novotny was at the Costco at 1900 Santa Rosa Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., in March when the liquor cabinet display fell on top of her.

Sadie says the heavy cabinet falling on her caused “multiple, permanent, and severe injuries.” One of those injuries includes a traumatic brain injury, and the lawsuit accuses Costco of negligence, premises liability, and product liability. The multi-million-dollar lawsuit has people asking exactly how much the Sonoma County woman is suing Costco for.

Sadie Novotny is suing Costco for $14.1 million. The lawsuit was first filed in the California Superior Court for Alameda County on April 29, but on June 5, it was moved to the United States District Court for Northern California, per USA Today.

According to the lawsuit, the liquor cabinet fell on Sadie "without warning" and caused "catastrophic" injuries after she was pinned underneath the display. She was shopping at Costco with her husband when the incident occurred.

The lawsuit contends that Costco "negligently failed to adequately manage and or operate their store and or their merchandise." The complaint also states that the retailer "negligently failed to train, manage, and supervise their employees," and says the display was "in a dangerous and/or precarious position."

Sadie said the liquor cabinet fell partly due to having thin legs. It was also reportedly standing on a worn-out wooden pallet.

Anyone who has been to Costco knows how high their shelves can be. Sadie's lawsuit against Costco is asking for $5 million for emotional distress; $5 million for inconvenience, pain, and suffering; $2 million for her future medical expenses, plus another $2 million for the loss of future earning capacity.

Sadie is also asking Cosco to pay her $50,000 for the medical expenses she's accrued to date, $50,000 for loss of her loss of earnings to date, and $10,000 for loss of household services.

This isn't the first time that Costco has faced lawsuits. The retailer has been sued multiple times for slip and fall accidents, which is the most common type of lawsuit against the wholesaler. A class-action lawsuit was also filed against Costco last year for false advertising after several customers noticed that the Kirkland Signature Moist Flushable Wipes they sold contained PFAS, a toxic chemical, despite being advertised as safe for babies.

"PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals known to be harmful to children. Because PFAS persist and accumulate over time, they are harmful even at very low levels. Indeed, laboratory studies have shown a number of PFAS-linked toxicological effects and have been associated with thyroid disorders, immunotoxic effects, and various cancers."

Costco settled the lawsuit for $2 million.