Woman says spider from Sam's Club bit her

CHARLESTON - A Kanawha County woman is suing Sam's Club after she says she was bitten by a spider that was hiding in her fruit

Kathy Fink filed the lawsuit May 26 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Wal-Mart and Alliance International.

She says co-worker Pat Walker bought grapes at the Sam's Club located in Southridge Centre on Corridor "G" June 8, 2004, and the spider attacked her when she grabbed for some.

The complaint called described the spider as a "tropical venomous brown widow spider."

Fink is suing Wal-Mart because it is Sam's Club's parent company and Alliance International because it supplied the grapes.

Fink says she experienced pain and suffering, permanent scarring a week's worth of missed work. Her husband William is also a plaintiff, claiming he "temporarily lost the care and comfort of his beloved wife."

"The brown widow spider is twice as poisonous as the black widow spider and is not native to this area," the complaint says.

Fink is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

Richard J. Lindroth is the plaintiffs' attorney.

Judge Jennifer Bailey Walker has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-1013