Woman hurt in boot mishap settles civil case

A Huntington woman who stuck her foot into a brand new boot five years ago and wound up with a nail in her sole settled her legal case Friday against the manufacturer and the Farmingdale Target store where she bought it for $500,000, according to a court transcript and lawyers in the case.

Shalini Schetty, 45, of Syosset, has been walking with a cane since she tried on the boots in January 2007, said her lawyer, Michael Levine, of Hauppauge. He said because of the injury, she now has a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, which he said is likely permanent.

"This is a mother of four young children who until this could do everything that she enjoyed doing," Levine said. "Unfortunately, that quality of life was taken from her."

Lawyers were minutes from making opening statements before Supreme Court Justice John Galasso in Mineola when they settled the case during a short break. According to a court transcript, the company that manufactured the boots, ITC Trading Co., will pay $400,000, and Target Corp. will pay $100,000.

Lawyers for ITC and Target did not return calls after the settlement Friday.

According to Levine and legal papers, Schetty was shopping at the Farmingdale Target store with her husband and their four young children in December 2006 when she bought the black Mossimo Gardenia boots in size 7 1/2 without trying them on. A few weeks later, when she put them on at home, a nail sticking up in the toe of the high-heeled boots drove into her foot, Levine said.

Levine said there are no nails use in making the boots, making it likely that this pair was tampered with at some point.