In a gripping legal battle, a couple has filed a lawsuit against a major grocery chain, alleging negligence and premises liability after a slip-and-fall incident left one of them injured. Alene Santini and Gerald Santini have taken their grievances to the Superior Court of California in San Francisco on December 17, 2024, naming Whole Foods Market California, Inc., Whole Foods Market, Inc., and unnamed defendants as responsible parties.
The case stems from an incident that occurred on December 24, 2022, at the Whole Foods Market located at 3251 20th Avenue in San Francisco. According to the complaint filed by the Santinis' attorneys from Maurer Law Corporation, Alene Santini was shopping for groceries when she slipped on an unknown substance in the produce department. The fall resulted in serious injuries that have had lasting effects on her physical health and economic situation. The plaintiffs allege that Whole Foods failed to maintain safe conditions within their store, thus breaching their duty of care to customers like Alene.
The complaint outlines several accusations against Whole Foods. It claims that the store negligently allowed a dangerous condition to exist by not keeping the floors clean and failing to warn customers about potential hazards. "Defendants breached their duty of care by permitting their conduct to fall below the required standard," states the complaint. This breach allegedly led directly to Alene's injuries, which include significant medical expenses and loss of earning capacity due to her inability to work post-accident.
Furthermore, Gerald Santini has joined his wife in seeking damages for loss of consortium—a legal term referring to the deprivation of benefits from family relationships due to injuries caused by another party's negligence. The couple is demanding compensation for both economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as noneconomic damages including pain and suffering.
Represented by attorneys Jordan W. Maurer and Marshal R. Parks from Maurer Law Corporation, the Santinis are pursuing a judgment that includes coverage for all incurred costs related to Alene's injury along with additional relief deemed appropriate by the court. They argue that Whole Foods' failure to ensure customer safety was not only negligent but also a direct cause of their current hardships.
The case is presided over under Case ID CGC-24-620711 at the Superior Court of California in San Francisco County. As this legal confrontation unfolds, it underscores critical questions about corporate responsibility towards customer safety and the extent of accountability when accidents occur within business premises.