Trip on Forever 21 escalator lands in court

A shopper is suing Forever 21 after, she says, she injured her knee on the store’s escalator.

Martha Berrones filed a lawsuit on April 29 in the Harris County District Court against Forever 21 Retail Inc., alleging negligence.

The plaintiff says that on Feb. 21, Berrones suffered serious injuries while shopping at Forever 21, located at the Baybrook Mall in Friendswood. According to the brief, the store’s escalator was broken, so the store allowed shoppers to use it as a staircase.

Berrones claims that since escalators are not meant to be used as staircases, she fell on the escalator’s stairs, slashing her knee. The injury required sutures and will leave a permanent scar, according to the plaintiff.

Berrones is seeking actual and special damages, as well as court costs. She is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Norman Straub.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-26169.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.