Case Intel
- Present significance: Federal jury absolves major pet retailer of liability in workplace assault, reinforcing boundaries of employer responsibility for employee misconduct
- Striking detail: One-hour deliberation resulted in $5,000 award to customer while clearing company of $1.5 million in requested damages
- Next step: Verdict establishes precedent for retail chains facing vicarious liability claims when employees act outside job duties
DETROIT — A federal jury in Michigan delivered a swift verdict Friday clearing PetSmart Inc. of liability for a 2020 workplace assault that left a customer with broken glasses and alleged PTSD, instead holding the individual employee fully responsible for the incident.
The Detroit jury unanimously found that PetSmart bore no responsibility for store manager Krista Aurand‘s assault on customer Iza Noor during a November 17, 2020 dispute over dog toy pricing at a Chesterfield, Michigan location. Deliberations lasted approximately one hour following a week-long trial.
Jurors began deliberations shortly after 3:20 p.m. Friday and returned a unanimous verdict by 4:30 p.m. They concluded:
