Couple Sues Trader Joe's, Borough Over Slip-and-Fall Premises Liability Claims

Demetries and Joanne Krontiris filed a premises liability complaint against Trader Joe's and the Borough of Media in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, naming both the retail chain and the municipality as defendants in a case that includes a negligent hiring claim alongside the more typical slip-and-fall allegations.

The complaint, docketed as CV-2026-002018 on March 4, 2026, asserts four categories of claims: negligent hiring, personal injury, property and premises liability, and slip-and-fall negligence. The inclusion of a negligent hiring count is notable in a premises liability context, as it suggests the Krontiris complaint may allege that Trader Joe's bears responsibility not just for a dangerous condition on the property but for the conduct or training of specific employees connected to that condition.

Plaintiff counsel David S. Berman filed the case in Delaware County, which places the likely incident in or near Media, Pennsylvania, the borough seat of Delaware County and home to a Trader Joe's location. Why the Borough of Media is named as a co-defendant is not specified in the public docket summary. Municipal defendants in slip-and-fall cases are typically named when the alleged hazard involves a sidewalk, parking area, or other property that falls under local government jurisdiction or maintenance responsibility, but the specific factual basis for including Media in this suit has not yet been established in the available public record.

The docket classification lists the case as a civil tort in the premises liability category. The complaint itself, which would contain the full factual narrative including the incident date and location, the nature of the injuries sustained, and the damages sought, was not publicly available in the initial docket summary.

The case is in its earliest stage. No defense counsel for Trader Joe's or the Borough of Media has appeared in the public record yet, and no hearings or responsive filings have been scheduled as of the filing date.