Walmart shopper hurt while buying melon wins millions

AN ALABAMA man who said he tripped and broke his hip while buying a watermelon at a Walmart store has won a $7.5 million verdict in his lawsuit against the retailer. Henry Walker was awarded the damages after a jury trial in Phenix City, Alabama, just west of the Georgia state line, court records show. Walker had sued Arkansas-based WalMart Stores Inc., saying his foot became trapped in a pallet beneath the watermelons as he reached for one of the fruits at a Phenix City Walmart on June 25, 2015. “We are disappointed in the verdict,” Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said Thursday. “We appreciate the jury’s service, however we believe that the damages awarded were excessive in light of the facts in this case. We plan to appeal.” In court records and in testimony, Walmart has maintained that the display was not dangerous, and that any negligence was Walker’s fault.