BAY CITY, MI -- The Michigan Supreme Court denied Menards' appeal in a lawsuit that stems from a woman's death after she was hit by a car in the parking lot of the retailer's Bay County location six years ago.

A decision was made by the Michigan Supreme Court on Friday, June 30, according to court filings.

Menards was sued after a pickup truck struck Virginia Rawluszki, a shopper who was leaving its location in Bay County's Monitor Township store in 2011, according to a summary of the case. Rawluszki suffered a serious brain injury and later died from it, the summary states.

Rawluszki was walking on the yellow-striped crosswalk alongside the store, the summary states. The driver was "carelessly cutting across a parking space" and did not see Rawluszki as he made a left-hand turn.

Rawluszki's daughter, which court filings show is Denise Fowler, sued Menards for not putting a stop sign at the crosswalk. A trial court denied Menards' motion for summary disposition, according to records. The issue went to the Court of Appeals, where it was also denied. In November of that year, the Michigan Supreme Court remanded the case to the Court of Appeals.

Fowler said Menards "had a duty to take extra measures" to install signage or traffic stops to warn of crossing pedestrians, according to an unpublished opinion. Menards argued that parking lot dangers are open and obvious, the unpublished opinion states.

The appeals court concluded the trial court reached the right result and found "there is a duty on the part of the landowner to install crosswalks in a reasonable and prudent manner," according to the unpublished opinion.

Friday's decision by the Michigan Supreme Court lets the appeals court's decision stand.

Philip L. Ellison, the attorney representing Rawluszki's family in the higher courts, said the next steps are to get the case heard by a jury in a Bay County court. He said the process could take a couple months.

Ellison said he is "very pleased" with the Michigan Supreme Court's decision. He said it gives his client the opportunity to make their case to a jury.

An unusual aspect about this case is that it went up to the Michigan Supreme Court before a jury had a decision, Ellison said.

Ellison said the jury will decide if Rawluszki's death is attributed to the crosswalk and a lack of signage at the Menards store. The attorney questioned why big box stores allows cars to drive on crosswalks close to store entrances and exits.

"It doesn't make any sense to me," Ellison said.

Ellison said the driver of the pickup has settled the case through an insurance company. Now it's up to a jury to see if Menards has some liability and responsibility, he said.

"I think once they hear exactly what happened within these circumstances, I think the jury's going to be surprised by how free-wheeling and lack of control there is in front of these stories where a lot of busy traffic is going by," Ellison said.

Ellison added pedestrians have a right-away on a public road, not a parking lot.

"It's imperative to the store owners that cars and people know how to safely interact with each other in the parking lots and in crosswalks," he said.

Bay City attorney Alan R. Sullivan, who is representing Menards, declined to comment due to the pending case.