Death & Injury by Black Friday Sale

Every Thanksgiving holiday, after the turkey coma fades away, the rush of Black Friday sales sets in. Black Friday is an informal name for the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Many stores offer highly promoted sales and door busters. Black Friday has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year in the U.S. for years.

Black Friday 2019 proves to be no different. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers are preparing for one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year with an estimated 114.6 million people likely to shop on Black Friday. Although many will stick to online sales, millions will brave the crowds at brick-and-mortar stores, knocking elbows over TVs and holiday toys.

To prepare for this shopping Armageddon tradition, big retailers will hire hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers, open at the crack of dawn, and keep the paramedics on speed dial. Unfortunately, every Black Friday, it seems there is at least one report of shoppers getting injured or killed in some chaotic shopping scene.

Black Friday Death & Injury Tolls

Although there are many unreported Black Friday deaths and injuries, the data is nevertheless shocking. In the span of 12 years, there has been an average of 44 separate Black Friday-related incidents resulting in 11 deaths and 108 injuries. The majority of Black Friday incidents (69%) happen inside retail stores, where tension can run high as shoppers fight over limited items on sale. Among in-store incidents, Walmart is in a league of its own. A shocking 70% of all reported Black Friday incidents (and 3 of the 11 deaths) happened at Walmart – the nation’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer. Many of these injuries and deaths are due to the especially large crowds.

Cause of Black Friday Mayhem

Black Friday-related injuries and deaths have been caused by many things, including:

• Stampedes
• Shootings
• Stabbings
• Fist fights
• Brawls
• Car accidents – falling asleep at the wheel after a long day of shopping
• Robbery

But perhaps the most well-known Black Friday injuries and deaths are the trampling incidents induced by thousands of over-eager shoppers waiting at the entrance of a store. The most horrid of these stampede-related deaths happened in 2008, when a New York Walmart employee was overrun by a crowd of 2,000 shoppers, who proceeded to stream over his body as he lay on the linoleum floor. The legal team at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. represented the victim’s family against Walmart.

Retailers may be responsible for Black Friday deaths and injuries for various reasons, such as failing to provide adequate security or inducing the mayhem by advertising ridiculous sales without being equipped to handle the turnout.

Injured? Call Us Now!

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Black Friday-related incident, you may have a valid personal injury claim and be entitled to monetary compensation. For more information or to consult with one of our experienced NYC personal injury attorneys, please call Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. at 1-800-529-9997.