Menards loses appeal in case of shopper hit in Michigan lot

BAY CITY (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court won’t intervene in a personal-injury case that could have consequences for big-box stores in the state.

After hearing arguments months ago, the court said last Friday it will let an appeals court decision stand against Menards, the Wisconsin-based home improvement chain.

A shopper, Virginia Rawluszki, was struck by a pickup truck in the crosswalk of a Menards store in Bay City in 2011. She eventually died from her injuries two years later. Her family says Menards should have installed stop signs to slow down traffic.

But Menards said the risk of being hit in a parking lot is open and obvious — a key legal standard in Michigan that typically protects property owners from liability.

Two courts, including the state appeals court, ruled in favor of Rawluszki.