Stores, Home Center - Home Depot hurt in parking lot, poor treatment

Complaints.com received the following e-message on July 10, 2001:

From:

RE: HOME DEPOT INCIDENT-NOVEMBER 14 2000 Several months ago, while seven months pregnant, I was visiting a local Home Depot store and my foot became wedged in a large, deep hole in the parking lot and I fell. I took the brunt of the fall on the left side of my body (elbow, knee, outer calf and portion of belly) Knee an delbow were cut an dbleeding and leg began to swell and bruise, I had severe cramping and pain and felt light headed-made report with manager and two witnesses who saw fall also gave their report and then I was taken to my OBGYN. Injuries were treated and I was told to go home an dlay down for several days as my blood pressure was sky high and I was having contractions and pain. Over course of next four weeks bruises became very severe (as documented by photos) and I was in constant pain and walked with a limp-unable to sleep as left side would often ache and go numbe from kenn to hip..

Several weeks after this, i developed a blood clot in my left leg at the exact site of the injuries as documented by photos and ultrasounds. Clot was very painful and no pain medicine or blood thinner could be given because I was pregnant, I was induced two weeks early as the clot was a threat to my health and the babys.The physical pain from my injuries was awful, but the emotional pain from worry for my health and the babys, for me and my family was almost unbearable.I suffered and so did my family because of Home Depots negligence. I was unable to care fully for my six year old, an dhad to have friend ands relatives in to help as I couldn't get around, husband missed work, I spent hours in and out of doctors and running around getting letters and documents mailed to Home Depot.

I have logged over 75 calls to Home Depot and thier liability company-four have been returned. No lawyer will take my case as Home Depot is too big of a company and they would drasg it out and make it almost impossible to settle. I have been offered a minimal amount of money (under $1000.00) for my injuries and was told by Nancy Workman of Home Depots liability claims department to get over it, that my injuries were minor and it was no big deal and that it was partially my fault for not seeing the hole. (For the recrod the witnesses stated as did I, that the hole was not visible until you were on top of it and I was trying to navigate my way through a packed parking lot and hole was along a well traveled route-4 parking spots from front of store) I feel as though I have been injured twice by Home Depot-not just from the fall, but from the terrible treatment I have recieved in trying to settle this case.

When a woman can get millions of dollars for burning her tongue on hot coffee, you would think that I could get a slightly better compensation package-I haven't even gotten an apology and I have been treated like trash. Home Depot does not care about it's customers-that is obvious. I need every ones help who reads this post, if you are also outraged by this story please call Home Depot consumer affairs at 1-800--553-3199 and tell them what they have done to Hilary is not acceptable. I don't hold out much hope that I will ever prevail in this matter, but if I can spare others the same scenario it is all worth it.

Thank you

-Hilar y Secrist