A peculiar "pet" in a Home Depot left a female customer frightened and injured as the offending creature was a "large, hairy tarantula-type spider" whose sudden appearance caused the woman to jump and crash into a shopping cart and shelving. The customer, S.P., has now filed a personal injury lawsuit against Home Depot for allowing the offending spider to reside in the store, as reported by Courthouse News Service.
The lawsuit was filed in Palm Beach County Court and names Home Depot as the single defendant.
On October 9, 2011, at approximately 7:30 p.m., S.P. claims that the spider "nearly" dropped down "on her nose" while she tried to shop in the garden section of a Home Depot store in Jupiter, Florida.
According to the claim, "Suddenly and without warning, a large, hairy tarantula-type spider dropped down on a long silken strand from its web above where patrons walk, into her face…"
Reporters spoke with a vocational agricultural teacher who explained that tarantulas are reclusive. They "won't bite unless you pinch them" and even if they did bite it would be no more dangerous than the sting of a bee. Also, a tarantula would tend to fling barbed wires from its abdomen toward a perceived threat as opposed to biting.
They also don't spin webs like other spiders, but they do spin silken strands.
However spying one – they can grow as long as 10 inches across – can be frightening.
The suit states, "Defendant's employees stated to plaintiff they called the spider their 'pet' and said it liked to come out at night and look around. They allowed this dangerous condition to exist and exhibited a callous disregard for the safety of customers on their premises."
When the surprising incident occurred S.P. "gasped in horror at the large spider suddenly appearing in her face. She reacted by jumping backward and sideways and struck her body against the shopping cart and the display shelves."
The "bodily injury" S.P. sustained in the accident has resulted in "pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, permanent impairment, mental anguish, loss of capacity of enjoyment of life, expense of medical care and treatment, and aggravation of a previously existing condition. The losses are either permanent or continuing and plaintiff will continue to suffer the losses in the future."
Attorney Joseph Bilottta is representing S.P. in the lawsuit.
A tarantula, pet or not, can live up to 30 years and most survive at least 10. Their normal prey are frogs and small birds; again they do not bite but rather pounce and then paralyze their small victims with venom.
Allegedly many people keep pet tarantulas.
This may be a very unique setting for a case of personal injury, however, an injury did occur due to the store's failure to provide a safe environment for its customers. If you have been hurt by the actions or inactions of another party contact a personal injury lawyer to file your lawsuit.