‘Not reasonably safe’: Woman shopping at Family Dollar crushed by collapsing roof
A Missouri woman is suing Family Dollar after a roof collapse at one of its Kansas City locations killed a man and left her and several others severely injured.
Tammy Martin filed the lawsuit on Friday against Family Dollar Stores of Missouri, LLC; Family Dollar, Inc.; and Arthur Fels Company, the property owner. The suit alleges the defendants’ negligence directly led to the deadly incident.
According to the complaint, Martin was shopping in the store on July 27 when the roof suddenly gave way, crashing down on her. She suffered severe and permanent injuries across her body, including her head, neck, spine, pelvis, and limbs, the suit claims.
The lawsuit cites a 2016 car crash into the store as the root cause of the collapse. That accident damaged a key support pillar, which, according to Martin’s attorneys, was never properly repaired. Store staff allegedly received warnings before the collapse that the roof appeared unstable.
“Defendants knew or should have known the store, including the roof, was not reasonably safe,” the lawsuit states. It adds that the building had a “hazardous, dangerous, or deceptive condition” due to its compromised structure and sagging roof.
Martin is seeking damages in excess of $25,000.
A 58-year-old man was killed in the collapse. Local news outlet KCTV reported that just two days before the incident, a city property violation report noted the building appeared to be “slowly tilting.”
Martin’s attorney, James Stigall, told The Kansas City Star the tragedy could have been prevented.
“Based on our preliminary investigation, it appears Family Dollar and the property owner knew the building was not structurally safe and presented a serious danger to customers and the general public,” he said.
The Kansas City Police Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are continuing to investigate the incident.
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