Wine vault

A bottle of wine caused permanent injuries, states an $8.2 million lawsuit. Jewel Strite's suit states she was hurt by a 1.5-liter bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay (not pictured here). It was twice the size of a standard bottle.

(J. Gwendolynne Berry (file photo))

A woman who says she badly hurt her foot when a bottle of wine fell from a bag she was loading into her car is suing Albertsons for $8.2 million -- claiming an employee improperly placed the wine in a plastic bag that ripped.

According to a suit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court this week by Jewel Strite:

Strite bought a 1.5-liter bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay at the Central Point Albertsons on Oct. 1, 2012, at about 9:30 p.m. An employee double-bagged most of her groceries, but Strite didn't notice that the employee slipped her bottle of wine -- which is double the size of a standard bottle -- into a single plastic bag.

The bottle tore through the plastic and shattered on top of Strite’s right foot and ankle. She suffered a broken ankle; injuries to her muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves; and cuts and bruises. The suit also claims Strite is in chronic pain.

At least two other suits have been filed over injuries in Oregon grocery stores over the past few weeks. On April 29, a woman who claims she cut her left foot at the Sandy Fred Meyer when she stepped on broken glass in the bottle-return area is suing for $500,000. On May 2, a woman filed a $108,000 lawsuit against the Hood River Safeway, claiming she sliced her finger while reaching for some juice in a refrigerated beverage cooler.

Among the damages Strite seeks compensation for: $74,000 in medical costs, $2.5 million for future medical expenses, $276,000 for “home maintenance expenses,” more than $86,000 for transportation expenses, $1.08 million for her decreased earning capacity and $4.2 million for her pain and suffering.

The suit was filed by Bend attorney Tim Williams.