Home Depot Sued Over Joplin, Missouri, Tornado Deaths

August 6, 2014

  • August 7, 2014 at 1:45 pm
    reality bites says:
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    Apparently there is no upside in suing Mother Nature, or God.

    While I commiserate with Ms. Housel on the loss of her loved ones, the only reason this case made it to court is because someone is more $$$$ hungry than she is; her lawyer.

    I hope she ends up having to pick up the attorney fees and costs when she loses. Or that whatever settlement gets floated to make the case goes away doesn’t make it to her account, after the expenses are handled.

  • August 7, 2014 at 1:45 pm
    Caldude says:
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    Speechless

  • August 7, 2014 at 1:52 pm
    hummer says:
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    They asked the lawyer whether they should sue. He said, “Just do it.”

  • August 7, 2014 at 1:54 pm
    Libby says:
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    Just wrong. On so many levels.

  • August 7, 2014 at 2:37 pm
    Fed Up says:
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    Maybe it’s just me, but I’m pretty sure all bets are off when an EF-5 tornado hits…

  • August 7, 2014 at 2:41 pm
    MeIsEinstein says:
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    Next time a storm comes Home Depot close the doors completely and don’t let anyone in. Terrible I know, but that’s only way to avoid lawsuits these days apparently.

    • August 7, 2014 at 4:26 pm
      InsGuy says:
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      I agree, but sadly, they’d likely get sued for that as well. Actually, the case now is more defensbile.

      I’ve always advocated a “loser pays” rule, but maybe is should be the losing attorney pays the costs of both.

  • August 7, 2014 at 3:12 pm
    High winds are one thing says:
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    And the building was overbuilt. A tornado is a bit more than “high winds”. At least there weren’t any sharks in it.

    • August 7, 2014 at 3:14 pm
      reality bites says:
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      At least they have chain saws at HD and Lowe’s…

      • August 7, 2014 at 3:21 pm
        Puzzled in PA says:
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        That’s why they have shovels here too; to shovel this kind of crap. While it is certainly a tragedy to lose husband and 2 smal children, that is not Home Depot’s fault and this case should be dismissed immediately as it is without merit.

  • August 7, 2014 at 6:01 pm
    Bonnie Devine says:
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    Sadly, when suits like this occur, it makes it less likely in the future under similar situations that anyone will want to give someone outside their family shelter from an “Act of God”. In large part all due to leaving them open to be sued should something fail in the construction of their home/building causing death or injury. Tragedies happen in life. They are called accidents. However in the times we live in, someone is always looking to lay the blame at someone else’s feet.

  • August 8, 2014 at 3:29 pm
    Jadefox says:
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    Acts of God are now providing full employement for shysters among us.

  • August 8, 2014 at 3:30 pm
    Jadefox says:
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    Oops, changed my mind. HD obviously negligent for not building underground. That should be the standard going foward.

  • August 11, 2014 at 7:24 am
    Chris says:
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    What’s really messed up is that Home Depot lost two employees who were supposed to be in the training room for shelter but decided they’d do a run through the store to make sure they got everyone. It was a selfless act to let them in and try to save their lives. It’s was a EF5, if they’d been left outside they’d have died anyway.

  • August 11, 2014 at 10:54 am
    lets sue them all says:
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    I’d have to say at this point, if the lady would have lost her husband and children because they took cover in their car, she would have sued the manufacturer for not making sure it would withstand an direct ground impact at 165mph, or because the airbags didn’t deploy multiple times for multiple impacts.

    It makes me sick when people try to profit from the loss of their loved ones, when there was ZERO negligence on the behalf of the other parties involved. There were several people with trees on homes and property, should they be able to sue the city because they weren’t planted “deep” enough to withstand such winds? COME ON!

    The main reason the US is in the situation it is in, is because of people like this woman and her attorney.

  • August 11, 2014 at 11:16 am
    Pj says:
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    Man, when is this madness going to end? Another ridiculous lawsuit!

  • August 11, 2014 at 9:48 pm
    martin says:
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    It makes one wonder if the attorney believes in god. He stated it was an act of God.. Funny how many people use God when it’s in a defense. Many must get use to the fact that God is on our currency and in many laws. To choose to NOT believe that God is part of our foundation is ridiculous. You may not believe in God, but you better believe that God is rooted in our foundation and no atheist will ever change that.

  • March 19, 2015 at 1:40 pm
    MR.TYB says:
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    wow maybe home depot should be built better

    • December 27, 2015 at 8:12 pm
      David L. says:
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      this was an EF-5 with greater than 300 MPH winds. … the only way two build to survive an EF-5 is pretty much underground.

  • April 3, 2015 at 2:39 pm
    Robert Dees says:
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    While I understand she must be incredibly saddened by the loss of her family – anyone would be – it is not worth it to drag everyone into court over something that no one could prevent, or minimize. When an EF-5 tornado is coming to town there is really nothing that any building can do and you are responsible to take cover in a basement or low lying area. Home Depot’s walls – according to the article – were OVER built. Unfortunately this case is going nowhere unless some activist judge wants to make an example out of HD – which I don’t doubt could happen.

    • October 10, 2015 at 11:03 pm
      AVA M. says:
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      God is looking down and protecting the rest of the family

  • April 3, 2015 at 7:23 pm
    Larispitler says:
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    So to avoid litigation in the future businesses should not allow people to come in and seek refuge. Got it. I’m sure they would have been fine nestled under a tree until the Ef5 passed by.

  • October 10, 2015 at 10:05 pm
    AVA M.? says:
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    I am reading the I Survied series of books and I am reading I Survived book of the Joplin Tornado and it is a very very good book but it is so very sad!!!?

  • June 29, 2016 at 6:37 pm
    That Guy says:
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    Why did this even happen? So if I die from a tornado in my Ford Focus, my family should go after Ford because the car wasn’t made to survive being thrown all over?

    I am sorry for your loss but that wasn’t the best response to it…

  • April 11, 2019 at 10:06 am
    Nathan Cavanagh says:
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    You can’t complain that your family died because they can’t build a building, it’s because of an EF5 tornado. Don’t be an idiot.
    P.S. Sorry that your family died

  • February 26, 2020 at 12:43 am
    Caroline says:
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    Sorry this lady lost her husband and two ill-named children, but her lawsuit is absolutely APPALLING! If I was Home Depot I would counter sue her for filing a frivolous lawsuit. The tornado was one of the worst ever. It’s not like it was a clear and sunny day with no winds, her family went inside the store, and the walls collapsed for no reason. Pathetic.



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