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Pop! Soda Hits Boy's Head in New Lenox Supermarket, Says Lawsuit

A woman is suing the New Lenox Berkot's after her son allegedly knocked a soda off a display and it hit him in the head.

Allegations of an unsafe soda have prompted a woman to sue the New Lenox Berkot's.

The woman, identified in the lawsuit only as Kathy Harmon, claims she was shopping in the 2141 Calistoga Drive supermarket in February 2011 when her son, Daniel Harmon, grabbed a soda from a display.

The lawsuit describes Daniel Harmon as a "minor" but does not provide his age. The attorney for the Harmons, William Rock of Joliet, could not be immediately reached for comment.

After Daniel Harmon grabbed the soda, the lawsuit says, another soda fell from the display and hit him in the head and face.

Daniel Harmon was injured by the dropped drink, the lawsuit said, and he "experienced pain and suffering. He has incurred medical bills. He lost time from his usual occupation and duty and expects to experience the impact of these losses in the future."

All of that hardship is worth between $15,000 and $50,000, the lawsuit says.

The suit does not specify whether the beverage was in a bottle or a can, calling it only a "container of soda." It also does not say what brand or flavor of soda allegedly fell on Daniel Harmon.

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MommyTwoThree January 31, 2013 at 12:01 pm
@Rob Bennetti, here are the facts: A single soda fell on a minor in a grocery store and the mother is suing. Nothing else matters, regardless if the display was "hazardous" or the kid was actually injured (doubtful) as you suggest. Accidents will happen. That doesn't mean you sue because you see dollar signs. Would she sue if that same soda fell on her son at a friend's house? It's a joke lawsuit from a joke of an attorney. Let's not try to make it any more than that with your what if this leads the store to use best practices comment. This is a free country. The Patch has a right to write about this story and the readers have a right to comment as they see fit. Perhaps next time any loser who decides it might be a good idea to do the same thing might think otherwise or endure the wrath of intelligent, practical comments posted by Patch readers.
dave bird January 31, 2013 at 12:41 pm
oh i'am so sorry i insulted the lawyer and his head in my comment yesterday.what is this kid going to do when he grows up and has a warm beer can spray him in the face.
lala January 31, 2013 at 12:53 pm
I agree. I was also wondering why the Patch felt the need to post the name of a minor.
So There January 31, 2013 at 01:06 pm
Take some law classes did you Rob?
Amanda Bowl January 31, 2013 at 01:08 pm
No matter what anyone says, society is really screwed up!
Rob Benetti January 31, 2013 at 01:23 pm
No, I have not taken law classes but I was struck in the head by 60 pounds of concrete that fell from a building that was a hazard in a high traffic area several years ago. My first four ribs were sheared off my spine and I was legally disabled for quite a while. I live with severe pain that reminds me daily how lucky I am to be alive. I know that my injury resulted in that dangerous building being fixed quite quickly. I also know how BS lawsuits tie up the court system as it took over 6 years for me to get my first court date.
Having said that, I still believe that it's best to have all of the facts before judging individuals or situations. It's one of the foundations of a so called advanced society.
Rob Benetti January 31, 2013 at 01:25 pm
I hope this kid grows up to respect due process and not judge others without any facts.
Christine January 31, 2013 at 01:26 pm
OMG....for real! And to feel sorry for the mom and the obviously "older" child please and they will be the first to complain that thier insurance rates are too high or that the groceries cost to much. Its due stupid lawsuits of people trying to make a buck that the cost of so many things go up. Get real people, get a job and stop trying to find ways to get rich quick! The store does not even put up the pop displays - the beverage company does!
lala January 31, 2013 at 01:26 pm
Sounds like the soda bottle hit Kathy Harmon in the head.
New Lenox Mom January 31, 2013 at 01:56 pm
@Rob, the lawsuit is public record that includes the "minor's" name. Public lawsuits against a local business should be reported on. the public has the right to voice their OPINIONS, good or bad. I would think Ms. Harmon should expect that her actions could result in people not having a very good opinion of her. Now it is just my guess, but had this been a serious accident/injury we would have heard about this two years ago when it happened. Anyone can go over to the courthouse and pull up the actual suit, which it appears that Ann has done for this story. Time will tell whether this is one of those many frivolous suits as it appears to be, or something more serious. Since this happened almost 2 years ago and the statue of limitations is about to expire, it appears that she found a lawyer willing to file this in an attempt to make a few bucks! As for the lawyer, anyone who needs to text out pictures of his privates is not someone to be taken seriously. Apparently at least one of the women he sent the text to did not appreciate it and based on the comments posted with the picture it is something he has done before. Certainly not someone I would want representing me personally nor, if I was the owners of this firm, is he someone I would want representing my firm.
Ann Piasecki (Editor) January 31, 2013 at 05:17 pm
Hi Folks, Please keep in mind that the minor in this law suit is not on trial. Your opinions in regard to the suit are encouraged.
fonzie January 31, 2013 at 06:00 pm
Don't mention the lawyer because Patch is scared of a lawsuit. They don't offer the same courtesy to non-attorneys. Even though the attorney- Willie Rock has his name in the article, Patch doesn't want you to comment about his perversions.
James January 31, 2013 at 06:09 pm
Sounds like one for Judge Judy; the forum for morons. Lets see now, pain and suffering??? "My child will never ever be able to look at or go near another soda pop can again." That might actually be a good thing.
Jim P January 31, 2013 at 07:06 pm
Why are you attacking the pop can? It was just being there minding it's own business. It sure did not fall on its own. Who will represent the pop can?
sweet heart January 31, 2013 at 08:27 pm
I,had can"s fall on before what the big deal! Any way to maker her richer and rich
so she can stash the cash ib the bank.
Rob Benetti January 31, 2013 at 08:37 pm
You are right, accidents will happen but it is the stores responsibility to do all it can to minimize the potential for them to happen. I am not going to guess who is at fault but it is not of the question to think that a display may have been set up in a way that increased the chances for triggering an accident. If they are found to be at fault, they should be held liable for injuries.
Comparing this to one soda falling at a friends house is not even close to what we know to be true here. So lets get this straight, if you were in a store and a display caused you to be injured, you would simply let it go? Not comparing the following example to this situation because I do not know the extent of the injuries but what if it was your child who was injured, say lost an eye because a soda fell from a badly conceived/hazardous display, would you feel the same?
Beth January 31, 2013 at 08:46 pm
America has gone from "The land of opportunity" to the "Land of opportunists"
PUT THAT ON A BUMPER STICKER!
MommyTwoThree February 1, 2013 at 05:40 pm
How is comparing this to a single soda falling at a friend's house not the same? That is exactly what happened. Perhaps the friend placed her soda can in the pantry too close to the one her kid went to grab and it fell causing years of irreparable physical and emotional scarring. Shouldn't she also sue her friend?? Who is to blame in that case? Nobody because she won't make a dime??
From what this lawsuit claims, a SINGLE soda fell on a minor as a result of the minor's actions. We are not talking about a huge display tumbling down burying the kid alive as he was skipping along minding his own business We are talking about a kid who went to grab a soda and another one fell of the display. To answer your question, if I were at a store and an entire DISPLAY fell apart causing myself or my child to be injured, of course I would not walk away. Now if my kid decided it would be a good idea to tackle the display thus causing it to fall down, then that is not the store's fault at all. But you are getting way off track of this particular case. ONE SINGLE soda fell of the display as a result of the kid reaching to grab one himself. Why are you comparing this to a hazardous display causing someones eye to pop out? If I didn't know any better I would think you were affiliated with this joke of an attorney actually taking on this nonsense claim.
Rob Benetti February 1, 2013 at 06:42 pm
M23,
1. The only thing I am supporting with my comments is due process. I have not showed any bias toward either party nor have I chosen sides. I am not affiliated with any of the parties involved in any way, shape or form. I was merely stating that without real facts, it may be too early for me to pass judgement. 2. I agree that we are all responsible for our actions and parents are responsible for the actions of their minors. If the child was at fault the case will be dismissed early on in the process. 3. What I do not like about our court system is that a frivolous case can be brought, forcing the other party to lawyer up and incur crazy expenses to defend themselves with no repercussions to the party bringing suit. If they were forced to pay the legal fees and court costs if they lost, then we wouldn't see nearly as many cases without merit being brought forward. (I believe this to be true)
Rob Benetti February 1, 2013 at 06:42 pm
I also believe that frivolous cases are brought with damages resulting in an amount like this, 10K to under six digits, in the hopes that the there will be a quick settlement/paycheck because it is sometimes cheaper to do so than mount a defense. Attorneys love these cases because they take a minimal amount of work. They never plan to go to trial because if they do go further and the party bringing the suit cannot pay for depositions and expert testimony, the client will drop the case and then go back to hiding under the rock they crawled out from. The attorneys will continue to accept these cases until there is a change in the system.
This is where the system needs to change. We do need reform and in my opinion, that would make a good article. "Tort Reform!" I think that article would have made more sense than one calling out one party prior to there being real facts to consider. Your argument is that the facts are that a minor grabbed for a soda, another fell and hit him causing injuries. You are wrong, there is more to the case and those facts will become public record when the process takes the next step (if it does). I believe the party bringing the suit still needs to pass the first test with a judge. At that time, the real facts will be shared. Until that point, I believe that passing judgement is not fair to due process, which again, is one of the mainstays of our democracy.
Rob Benetti February 1, 2013 at 06:52 pm
If each one of you/us who are appalled by the frivolous cases clogging our court system took the time to write your/our reps instead of posting on this site, we might actually be able to help make change.
Maybe The Patch should lead this charge? Maybe a real article about the issue with detailed analysis and interviews with attorneys, judges and elected reps would be a good start?
Bob Laird February 1, 2013 at 07:00 pm
Jim, the ACLU has already stepped in on the cans behalf. (American Can Lawyers Union)
MommyTwoThree February 1, 2013 at 07:22 pm
If you are not affiliated with this case in any way, then how do you know that there is more to this story with your comment "You are wrong, there is more to the case and those facts will become public record when the process takes the next step (if it does).
You are completely contradicting yourself with almost every sentence you write. You aren't a fan of frivolous cases, yet there may be more to this story and lets not pass judgment. You agree that people should be responsible for their own actions, yet you think that there may be a case here from a kid grabbing a soda container from a grocery store, resulting in another one falling. Which is it? I don't care if there is any more to this case beyond this "minor" with an occupation grabbing for a soda thus resulting in another one falling. That should be the end of it for both you and I if you say people should take responsibility for their own actions. I am going off of what the Patch has quoted the lawsuit as stating: " he experienced pain and suffering. He has incurred medical bills. He lost time from his usual occupation and duty and expects to experience the impact of these losses in the future." From a soda?? Give me a break! Enough said. I am done with this story. I hope the judge tears both this family and the attorney apart for wasting everyone's time. Have a great day!
Beth February 1, 2013 at 08:09 pm
Desperate times call for desperate measures--this is pretty desperate!
Dan Borowski February 3, 2013 at 01:52 pm
Don't judge until you know all the facts!
Tony andreano February 6, 2013 at 10:42 am
I think I'll sue each person who posted here for the intentional infliction of emotional distressed caused in reading this.
dmr37 February 6, 2013 at 02:38 pm
CAN we all get along?
Jack Inhoff February 14, 2013 at 05:44 am
" POP - goes the weasel "
Karen March 6, 2013 at 07:12 pm
Mighty tough words for someone using 'local guy' as his name...
Ann Piasecki (Editor) March 6, 2013 at 07:15 pm
Hi Folks; Patch can't allow personal attacks in the comments. I just deleted one for that reason.
Thank you,
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Cheri June 15, 2013 at 07:02 pm
canceling cardinal-- it will be a workout driving on RT 30 mess
MartCHawk June 17, 2013 at 07:18 am
People coming from the east will now have to fight through school traffic at Rt. 30/Schoolhouse.Read More People from southwest New Lenox will have to either venture up Cedar, which is painfully slow... or take Spencer from Laraway, in which they will have to cross Rt. 30 to go straight. Won't be an easy picnic.