--- title: "Alejandro Melo vs. Costco: Miami Shopping Cart Injury Verdict" meta: "og:description": "Discover the verdict in Melo v. Costco Wholesale Corp. A Miami-Dade jury decided on a 2023 shopping cart injury claim involving allegations of store negligence." "og:title": "Alejandro Melo vs. Costco: Miami Shopping Cart Injury Verdict" description: "Discover the verdict in Melo v. Costco Wholesale Corp. A Miami-Dade jury decided on a 2023 shopping cart injury claim involving allegations of store negligence." --- February 20, 2026 # **Alejandro Melo vs. Costco: Miami Shopping Cart Injury Verdict** Discover the verdict in Melo v. Costco Wholesale Corp. A Miami-Dade jury decided on a 2023 shopping cart injury claim involving allegations of store negligence. [**Premises Liability**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict/jury-verdict/category/premises-liability) [**Personal Injury**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict/jury-verdict/category/personal-injury) ### **Outline** Author ![](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/profile_images/shared_image_1.webp) **Sohini Chakraborty****Sohini Chakraborty is a lawyer, with over two years of experience in legal research and analysis. She specializes in working closely with expert witnesses, offering critical support in preparing legal research and detailed case studies.** ![Article Image](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/images/Alejandro_Melo1.webp) In October 2023, a routine shopping trip to a Miami Lakes Costco turned into a legal battle after Alejandro Melo was struck by a heavy shopping cart maneuvered by an employee. Melo alleged the impact ran over his foot and caused his body to jerk violently, leading to permanent physical impairments and severe mental anguish. While Melo’s legal team argued that Costco failed in its duty to properly train staff and conduct background checks, the retail giant countered that the incident was either a fabrication or the result of Melo's own negligence. After a multi-year dispute in the Miami-Dade County Court system, a jury ultimately weighed the evidence to determine if the warehouse club was legally responsible for the mishap. ## **Case Background** The legal dispute began following an incident on October 28, 2023, at a Costco warehouse located in Miami Lakes, Florida. Alejandro Melo, the Plaintiff, visited the retail location at 16580 NW 59th Avenue as a business invitee. While he navigated the store, the afternoon took a painful turn that eventually led to a multi-year legal battle in the Miami-Dade County Court system. ### **Cause** The conflict stemmed from a moment of alleged inattention by a Costco staff member. As Mr. Melo moved through the warehouse, an employee maneuvered a heavy store shopping cart through the aisles. Without warning, the employee struck Mr. Melo, running over his foot with the cart. The force of the impact caused Mr. Melo’s body to jerk and bend violently, leading to immediate physical trauma. Mr. Melo argued that the employee failed to use due care while walking past him and maneuvered the cart in a careless manner. ### **Injury** The collision resulted in significant physical consequences for Mr. Melo. He alleged that the impact caused bodily injury which led to severe physical pain and suffering. Beyond the immediate shock of the incident, Mr. Melo claimed the event resulted in disability, physical impairment, and disfigurement. His legal team asserted that these injuries were permanent and would continue to affect his quality of life, mental well-being, and his ability to earn a living in the future. ### **Damages Sought** In his initial complaint filed in June 2024, Mr. Melo sought financial compensation exceeding $50,000. This figure intended to cover a wide array of losses, including past and future medical expenses, hospitalization costs, and nursing care. He also sought damages for non-economic losses such as mental anguish, the loss of capacity to enjoy life, and the aggravation of any pre-existing physical conditions he might have had prior to the accident. ## **Key Arguments and Proceedings** The litigation progressed through several phases, starting with the formal complaint and followed by Costco’s aggressive defense strategy. The proceedings examined not only the moment of impact but also the internal corporate policies of the retail giant. ### **Legal Representation** **Plaintiff(s):** Alejandro Melo. - **Counsel for Plaintiff(s):** Devon Workman, Esq. | Kristin Miller Grant, Esq. - **Experts for Plaintiff:** [Daniel E. Feinberg](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Daniel-Feinberg/1546826) | [Robert J. Rabiea](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Robert-Rabiea/1572345) | [Padmaja R. Yatham](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Padmaja-Yatham/1533134) | [Iris Garcia](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Iris-Garcia/1572346) [| Mario Adrian Cala](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Mario-Cala/1572347) | [Lazaro Diaz-Nunez](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Lazaro-Diaz%20Nunez/1572348) | [Behairy Moataz](https://expertwitnessprofiler.com/expert-witness/Moataz-Behairy/1572349) **Defendant(s):** Costco Wholesale Corporation | "Jane Doe" (the store manager). - **Counsel for Defendant(s):** David F. Cooney ## **Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel** ### **Claims** The Plaintiff’s legal team built a case that extended beyond the simple negligence of the cart operator. They raised multiple counts against Costco, including negligent hiring and retention. They argued that Costco failed to conduct adequate background checks or inquiries that would have identified whether the employee in question was fit to handle the responsibilities of the job. Furthermore, the Plaintiff claimed that the company failed to provide sufficient training, supervision, and monitoring for its staff to ensure they maneuvered store equipment safely around customers. A separate count targeted the store manager, "Jane Doe," alleging that she had a personal responsibility to manage the premises and train the staff to prevent such accidents. ### **Defense** Costco Wholesale Corporation fought the allegations on several fronts. In their formal response, they denied nearly every substantive allegation regarding negligence and the extent of the injuries. The defense team argued that the inclusion of "Jane Doe" as a Defendant was a "mythical" addition and a fraudulent tactic intended to keep the case in state Court rather than allowing it to be moved to federal Court. Most importantly, Costco raised the defense of comparative negligence. They asserted that Mr. Melo himself was the sole legal cause of his injuries, or at the very least, his own negligence contributed to the accident. They argued that any potential financial award should be slashed by the percentage of fault assigned to the Plaintiff. **Medical Specials and Write-Offs** A significant portion of the defense focused on limiting the potential financial payout through Florida’s specific statutes regarding medical expenses. Costco’s counsel argued that under state law, the evidence of medical damages must be limited to the amounts actually paid or required to be paid by insurance, rather than the higher "sticker price" of medical bills. They sought to ensure that any "write-offs" or discounts provided by medical providers would not be included in the final judgment, thereby reducing the total liability for the corporation. ## **Jury Verdict** Based on the verdict form from the Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County, Florida, in Case No. 24-010728-CA-01, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Defendant, Costco Wholesale Corporation, against the Plaintiff, Alejandro Melo. The verdict was rendered on October 24, 2025. The jury was asked whether there was negligence on the part of Costco Wholesale Corporation, through its employee, which was a legal cause of damage to Alejandro Melo. The jury answered "NO" to this question, marking an "X" next to the "NO" option. Because the jury found no negligence on Costco's part, the verdict form instructed them not to proceed further with the remaining questions regarding comparative negligence or damages. As a result, the questions about whether the Plaintiff himself was negligent, the apportionment of negligence percentages between the parties, and the calculation of damages for pain and suffering, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience, aggravation of disease or physical defect, and loss of capacity for enjoyment of life both past and future were left blank and unanswered. The verdict was signed by the jury foreperson on the 24th day of October 2025, and the document is stamped as a public access copy, not an official copy. ### **Court Documents** [Complaint](https://exlitem.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/ContentMarketing/IQBOdXNK2f1_Q7Pehbq1P5uMAc1E0dONQbX_vMsreuUgHP4?e=Vr4sPn) [Jury Verdict](https://exlitem.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/ContentMarketing/IQCbFlPzQlERTboJOowzXkYvAU36CnFS_m-pNkJXqiEcMsA?e=J1T8V5) [Share with Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict) [Share with X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict&text=x) [Share with LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict) [Share with Email](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict/mailto:?body=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict&subject=email) [Share with WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict%20whatsapp) ### **Find your next Expert Witness today** ![Sanjay Adhia](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **Sanjay Adhia** Forensic Psychiastry ![George Reis](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **George Reis** Forensic Imaging ![Maria Babinetz](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/alejandro-melo-vs-costco-miami-shopping-cart-injury-verdict/_ipx/q_80/user-default.svg) ###### **Maria Babinetz** Vocational Rehabilitation Find and retain experts without brokerage or upcharge. ### Looking for more? 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