Injured Woman Calling For Change At Grocery Store

A woman fighting with Whole Foods over injuries she suffered at their location on Powers Boulevard said safety procedures need to change.

Dee Hampton said a weather rug in the lobby caused her to fall on March 5.

“As I’m walking out two people are walking in,” said Hampton. “Their shoes caught the lip of the rug, flipped the rug over on my feet and I fell.”

Hampton said it sparked complications with a brain injury she suffered in 2008 which caused her to suffer seizures and affected her vision.

“I couldn’t read anything, it was completely blurry and my doctors told me it was because I had re-aggravated the brain injury,” said Hampton. “The twitching of my head was a result of the injury as well.”

Hampton said she was bedridden for one month. She’s racked up close to $14,000 in medical expenses. Hampton expected the insurance company for Whole Foods to pay for those expenses but was told on Friday that won’t happen.

“The attorneys said they don’t have any of their carpets slash rugs secured at their stores therefore, they are not going to be liable for any expenses at all,” said Hampton.

Hampton said those rugs are only used during the winter and spring. She wants all stores to secure them in the future.

“What if it were an older lady, she could have fallen and hurt herself? What if it were a young kid? I said the first thing I want is that in the future these mats are secured down so it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said Hampton.

Hampton said her second concern is getting the store to pay for her medical bills.

“I’m not asking for anything unusual,” said Hampton. “I do think they are responsible.”

Hampton reached out to the media and to lawyers for the first time on Friday. She said she tried to settle this with the company without a lawyer but doesn’t agree with the decision regarding their liability.