Attorney: 'Not Enough Zeros' in Lawsuits for Family of Man Killed in Menards Ceramic Tile Avalanche

An attorney said Wednesday there are “not enough zeros” to calculate the damages he’s seeking in a pair of civil lawsuits against retail giant Menards, which owns a store in Chesterfield Township where a customer was crushed under 600 pounds of ceramic tiles Saturday.

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, told the Detroit Free Press that he’s moving quickly on the lawsuits – one a wrongful death action, the other a complaint alleging emotional distress on the part of the victim’s wife – because he doesn’t want evidence, such as surveillance tapes, to disappear or be taped over.

Related:

• DIY Shopper Crushed Under 600 Pounds of Ceramic Tiles, Dies

Richard V. Colletti, 38, of Clinton Township was fatally injured about 10:30 a.m. Saturday when about 600 pounds of ceramic tiles fell 15 feet from an upper storage rack at the Menards store at 45500 Market Place Blvd. It’s believed he took a direct hit to the head in the avalanche of heavy, 12x12 ceramic tiles. He died later that day at an area hospital.

When asked by the Free Press how much he was seeking in damages, Fieger said, “There’s not enough zeroes on your typewriter.”

Chesterfield Police Lt. Bradley Kessler said Saturday that employees had used a forklifr to place a pallet of tiles on the shelf about 15 minutes before the Collettis walked through the area, but the aisle had reopened to customers.

On Tuesday, police said their investigation didn’t produce enough evidence to support criminal negligence charges against the store, but referred the matter to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it doesn’t have jurisdiction over the case because Colletti was a customer, not an employee.

The newspaper said phone calls to Menards corporate office were not returned.

Discuss:

• Is a business that stocks truckloads of heavy building materials in warehouse fashion inherently dangerous, as an attorney in a wrongful death action against another big-box store claims?

Richard Colletti’s funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Friday – what would have been his 39th birthday – at Kaul Funeral Home, 35201 Garfield, Clinton Township. Visitation is 2-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Colletti and his wife, Cindy, had been married for 11 years. Their son, Chase Joseph, is 5. Read the fulll obituary here.