Is It Premises Liability If The Obstacle You Tripped Over Was Huge?

Whoever invented the giant inflatable animal mascot is probably regretting it right about now.  Yes, they are eye-catching, and they weigh a fraction of the weight of most items of décor of similarly enormous size, but they have also been known to cause more trouble than you would expect from a thin layer of plastic filled with air.  During the disco era, when most of the luminaries of the 1970s rock scene were living it up in New York’s discos and producing albums with four-on-the-floor beats, Pink Floyd stuck to their signature sound of guitar noodling, choosing instead to feed the era’s craving for spectacle by suspending several inflatable pigs above their stage during live performances.  During a photo shoot for the cover of the album Animals, the pig became untethered and floated across the London skyline, causing the cancellation of flights to Heathrow airport for the rest of the day, lest it interfere with air traffic.  When the band broke up in the 1980s, the members of Pink Floyd engaged in costly litigation about which of them should retain the image rights to the pig.  Given the track record of inflatable mascots, who could have expected that anything good could come from installing giant inflatable beavers in front of Buc-ee’s gas stations?  If you have been injured in a preventable accident involving a gigantic piece of décor at a place of business, contact a Columbia premises liability lawyer.

Man Sues Buc-ee’s After Tripping Over Rope Anchoring Inflatable Mascot

South Carolinians celebrated when Buc-ee’s gas stations began to appear near highway exits across the Palmetto State; until 2018, the only way to get to Buc-ee’s was to go on a road trip that took you to Texas.  Dangers sometimes lurk behind the friendly image, though.  When Richard Brown of Kershaw County visited a Buc-ee’s in Florence County in 2022, there was a huge inflatable beaver mascot in front of the store.  The rope connecting the mascot to its anchor point crossed a sidewalk.  When Brown was walking on the sidewalk toward the gas station, he tripped over the rope and injured his right shoulder.  His injuries required costly treatment and reduced the function of his right arm for a long time, causing him to take a leave of absence from work.

Brown filed a lawsuit against Buc-ee’s in 2024.  He alleged that the store was negligent in positioning the mascot and the rope the way it did, so that the rope was an obstacle in the path of customers who approached the store.  Customers who get injured in accidents caused by dangerous conditions at a place of business have the right to file a premises liability claim and seek damages for their accident-related losses.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to an accident at a retail store.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/08/15/buc-ees-inflatable-beaver-lawsuit-south-carolina/74812997007/