Indemnity Insurance Company of North America has filed a lawsuit against a major grocery chain, alleging negligence that led to an employee's injury. The complaint was lodged in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, on January 17, 2025, targeting Safeway, Inc., Albertsons Safeway LLC dba Safeway, Albertsons Companies Inc., and unnamed defendants.
The case centers around an incident involving Michael Menconi, an employee of Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc., who sustained injuries while working at a Safeway store located at 1335 Webster Street in San Francisco. On January 17, 2023, Menconi slipped and fell due to what is believed to be a loose or improperly secured drain cover. This incident occurred as he was servicing the store as part of his duties for Bimbo Bakeries. The insurance company claims that the defendants failed to maintain safe premises by neglecting necessary cleaning and maintenance tasks and not providing adequate warnings about potential hazards.
The plaintiff argues that all named defendants had a duty to ensure their premises were safe for employees and customers alike. They allege that the defendants' negligence in managing the store environment directly led to Menconi's accident. "Defendants failed to take any mitigating measures to remedy the hazardous condition," states the complaint, emphasizing that several preventative actions could have been taken but were ignored.
Indemnity Insurance Company of North America is seeking reimbursement for workers' compensation benefits paid out due to Menconi's injury. They are also pursuing economic damages covering these benefits and punitive damages for what they describe as "willful and conscious disregard" for safety standards by the defendants. The lawsuit highlights broader issues of workplace safety and accountability within large retail environments.
Representing Indemnity Insurance Company of North America is attorney Coleman E. Ramsey from Stockwell, Harris, Woolverton & Fox. The case is identified under Case No.: CGC-25-621534 in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco.