Florence woman awarded $10 million after stepping on rusty nail at Walmart

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A Florence woman who suffered multiple amputations after stepping on a rusty nail at Walmart has been awarded $10 million in damages, her lawyers announced.

According to a press release from the Anastopoulo Law Firm, the incident happened in June 2015 at the Walmart on Beltline Drive in Florence.

April Jones was injured by the nail in the main aisle of the store, resulting in an infection, surgery and three separate amputations, the release stated. Jones has reportedly been wheelchair-bound for six years after losing most of her right leg.

A jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning with the $10 million verdict last week.

“The weakness of Walmart’s case, among other things, was their failure to produce a video that they claim showed their conforming behavior to a company policy calling for employees to perform regular safety sweeps. No such evidence was presented for the duration of the five-day-long trial,” the release stated.

According to the law firm, Walmart’s expert testified on cross-examination that the nail was the cause of injury.

The money, her lawyers say, will enable Jones to purchase a prosthetic, make her home more handicap-accessible and cover medical expenses.

Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove released the following statement Tuesday night:

Walmart works hard to help ensure that all customers have a safe experience shopping in our stores. We appreciate the jury’s service, however we do not believe the verdict is supported by the evidence or that Ms. Jones’ injury resulted from what was alleged in her complaint. We have filed post-trial motions with the court.