A Pierce County woman is suing Fred Meyer after a fall outside a Sumner store, claiming an improperly designed speed bump caused injuries that continue to affect her nearly two years later.
The lawsuit, filed this month in Tacoma federal court, centers on an unusual allegation: that a parking lot speed bump itself posed a dangerous hazard.
According to the complaint, Rose Baysinger, of Bonney Lake, was visiting the Fred Meyer store on Valley Ave. E. in Sumner in August 2024 after stopping at a nearby laundromat with her husband.
After using the restroom inside the store, Baysinger exited and began looking for her husband, who had gone to park their vehicle.
While walking through the parking lot, Baysinger stepped onto a yellow speed bump near the store entrance. As she stepped down, she twisted her right ankle and fell to the pavement, according to the complaint.
The fall allegedly left her with a broken right ankle and a broken left arm.
Nearby shoppers rushed to help Baysinger to her feet before she and her husband returned to the store to report what had happened.
But Baysinger’s lawsuit does not simply claim she fell. Instead, the complaint argues the speed bump itself was unsafe.
According to the lawsuit, the speed bump’s design — “including its height and tapered ends” — created a hazard for pedestrians. The complaint alleges Fred Meyer failed to ensure the bump was safe for people to step onto, stand on, and step off.
The lawsuit further alleges the company either should have used a safer design or provided more prominent warnings about the condition.
“For a variety of reasons, including the inappropriate design of the speed bump, including its height and tapered ends, the speed bump was not safe to walk or stand on,” the complaint states.
Baysinger alleges the injuries significantly affected her daily life.
According to the lawsuit, the injuries made it more difficult for her to clean her home, move heavy objects, and perform other household tasks. The complaint also alleges the fall interfered with her enjoyment of family and social activities.
“To this day, Rose’s left elbow still hurts, and it is her understanding that she developed Post-Traumatic Arthritis in her injured elbow, which was the result of her fall, and she was told that she will likely suffer permanent elbow pain for the rest of her life,” the complaint reads.
The case was initially filed in Pierce County Superior Court and was transferred to the US District Court for the Western District of Washington after receiving confirmation that the damages sought exceed $75,000.
Puget Press has reached out to Fred Meyer’s parent company, Kroger, for comment.
