Why Is Home Depot Being Sued by Terror Attack Victims?

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On October 31, 2017, a man drove a truck onto a bike trail in Manhattan, plowing into bicyclists and runners along a one mile stretch. After crashing downtown, the driver of the truck was arrested, and it was later discovered that he had terrorist connections. This created a stir as officials tried to figure out what happened and how an attack like this could be prevented. Those inquiries have led to Home Depot, and now terror attack victims and their families are considering their options.

Why Are Terror Attack Victims Suing Home Depot?

Eight people died as a result of the Halloween Day attack, and the family of one of those victims is trying to hold Home Depot accountable. They have filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court claiming that the home improvement chain neglected proper safety measures, especially in light of the current terrorist threat.

Since 2014, there have been 14 highly publicized attacks involving box trucks worldwide. Considering this, the lawsuit claims that Home Depot should have improved its rental policies to increase safety, but no such measures were taken. The lawsuit also goes on to claim the Home Depot store in Passaic rented the truck to the 29-year-old attacker (who lives in Paterson), despite the man not having a New Jersey driver’s license. Because of this alleged neglect, the family believes the store should share in liability for the attack.

This family has also filed lawsuits against the attacker, the City of New York, and others in charge of the bike path’s operations. Could other families and victims of this attack go to court as well? This incident is shaping up to be even more complex, involving not only the courts of New York, but also the courts right here in New Jersey. Our civil trial attorneys will keep a close eye on this case to learn more and help the clients who trust us with their legal needs.



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