Sonoma Woman Sues Costco for $14M Over Store Injury

A woman from Sonoma County says she went to a Costco in Santa Rosa back in 2021, like anyone else might, just doing her regular shopping. But then out of nowhere, a heavy wooden cabinet — like one of those on-display kitchen ones — apparently came crashing down and hit her on the head. She wasn’t doing anything risky or weird; it just fell. And ever since, her life hasn’t been the same.

She says the hit caused serious brain trauma. Things like memory loss, migraines, and even changes to her personality. It sounds terrifying, honestly. She's now suing Costco for $14 million, saying they didn’t make the store safe enough. When you think about it, most of us wouldn’t even imagine something like that happening during a normal grocery run. But it did.

What Her Lawsuit Says Costco Did Wrong

The lawsuit claims Costco didn’t secure the display cabinet properly. According to her lawyers, there were no warning signs, no barriers, nothing. The cabinet was apparently just sitting there on a high shelf, and it toppled over. She and her legal team believe the store was careless, and they’re calling it outright negligence.

She says she’s still dealing with the effects years later. Her doctors, according to the case files, say the injury caused damage that might not ever fully go away. That’s a lot to deal with for someone who just went shopping one day and didn’t expect to end up in the hospital — or in court.

No Public Statement From Costco Yet

As of now, Costco hasn’t released any public statement about the incident or the lawsuit. That could be because they’re still reviewing it, or maybe their lawyers advised them not to speak. Either way, people are starting to take notice, especially in California where Costco stores are everywhere.

This whole situation makes you think about the risks you never really consider while shopping. You just assume stuff in stores is set up safely. And when it’s not, the results can be life-altering, like in this case. Whether Costco takes responsibility or not, it’s clear this woman’s life changed in a major way.