Woman Sues Supermarket Chain for More Than $30 Million After Falling Under Leaky Roof While Buying Bananas

A routine trip to buy bananas turned into a years-long legal battle for an Oregon woman who says a fall inside a supermarket left her with lasting health problems.

Daily Mail reported on Wednesday, October 14, that Maria Torres reached an undisclosed settlement with the grocery chain Fred Meyer after suing over her 2023 fall at its Hawthorne location in Portland.

Torres, 71, sued Fred Meyer for $36 million, The Oregonian reported. She sought $6 million in compensatory damages and about $27.5 million in punitive damages, according to Daily Mail.

During the incident, Torres slipped on water that had collected on the store floor and fell backward, striking her head.

According to surveillance video obtained by The Oregonian, employees and shoppers rushed to help, with workers holding umbrellas over her as water continued dripping from above.

She spent three days in the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion.

According to the lawsuit, she claimed she later experienced headaches, ringing in her ears, and difficulty walking as the aftereffect of the fall.

Her attorney, Jason Kafoury, said the injuries eventually forced her to stop working as a cleaner for buses and trains.

Her legal team argued Fred Meyer had known for years that water leaked from the parking deck above the store. However, Fred Meyer denied liability.

In response, Fred Meyer argued that the leak had only just started and that employees had no chance to fix it before Torres fell, per Daily Mail.

The two sides reached a settlement during the trial, though they did not disclose the amount.

The dispute was handled as a civil case, with no criminal charges involved.