Kmart sued after woman cuts leg on shelf, dies a year later

STREATOR, Ill. (KABC) -- The son of a woman who died in April of MRSA sepsis is suing retailer Kmart after he says his mother contracted the deadly infection due to an injury at Kmart.

David Thompson filed the suit last week, 7 months after his mother, Dolores Thompson, died in Cook County. The lawsuit alleges Dolores Thompson was using a store-provided motorized scooter when she traveled past a shelf Nov. 15, 2012, and in an attempt to avoid boxes left out by employees, "lacerated" her leg on a metal shelf.

The lawsuit says Dolores Thompson tested positive for MRSA 17 days after accident, and died nearly a year and a half later of it, citing the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

The alleged incident happened at a now-shuttered Kmart at 11 Northpoint Dr. in Streator, about 50 miles southwest of Joliet, according to online records.

A representative for Sears Holdings Corp.-Kmart's parent company, which is also listed as a defendant-said the company had not received or reviewed the suit as of Friday morning, and could not comment on it.

The four-count wrongful death suit claims negligence and seeks at least $200,000 in damages, plus court costs.

Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2014