Quinton J. Hall Sues HD Supply for $50 Million Over Alleged Forklift Explosion at GA02
Pro se federal complaint claims safety failures, discrimination, and retaliation inside one of the nation’s largest industrial distributors
ATLANTA, Georgia — In June 2024, what should have been a routine warehouse shift at HD Supply’s Forest Park, Georgia, distribution center became, according to court filings, a turning point in the life of Quinton Juwon Hall.
In a newly filed federal complaint, Hall says the forklift he was operating began to malfunction on the warehouse floor — first smoking, then overheating, and ultimately exploding — releasing a cloud of fumes that he claims left him disoriented and with a lasting back injury. What followed, he alleges, was not support from management but a pattern of humiliation, denial of accommodations, and retaliation that ultimately cost him his job.
Those allegations now sit at the core of Hall v. HD Supply, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-06567 (N.D. Ga.), a $50 million federal civil-rights lawsuit that pits a single pro se worker against one of the country’s largest industrial distributors.
The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, stems from the 2024 forklift battery incident and its aftermath: a back injury, what Hall describes as unequal treatment on the warehouse floor, denied light-duty work, and a termination he claims was retaliatory. Hall is representing himself, pro se.
According to the complaint, this is not just about one warehouse job. Hall frames his lawsuit as a fight over “safety and dignity behind warehouse walls” at a major national company.
The allegations remain just that — allegations. HD Supply has not yet filed its response in the court record, and the court has not ruled on the merits of Hall’s claims.
From Temp to High Performer
Hall’s lawsuit traces his story back to October 2023, when he began working at an HD Supply distribution center as a temporary worker on the warehouse “put-away” team. By March 2024, he had been converted to a regular full-time employee.
According to the complaint, Hall quickly emerged as one of the more reliable workers in his department. He alleges that he:
- Consistently met or exceeded productivity and safety expectations
- Worked frequent overtime when requested
- Received internal recognition and positive feedback
Hall describes himself in the filing as one of the strongest forklift and put-away operators on his team — someone trusted with high-priority tasks and considered dependable under pressure.
That trajectory, he argues, changed overnight after the forklift incident in June 2024.
The Forklift Battery Incident and Back Injury
The heart of Hall’s lawsuit is a June 27, 2024 incident involving a forklift and an allegedly overheating battery.
According to the complaint, Hall was operating a forklift on the warehouse floor when he noticed excessive heat and smoke coming from the battery area. He claims the situation escalated until he was forced to deploy two fire extinguishers inside the facility to get the incident under control.
Hall contends that the event was more than a scare. He says the explosion, heat, and fumes left him disoriented and caused a serious back injury that has never fully resolved.
The complaint describes this moment as both a personal turning point and a snapshot of broader safety problems at the facility. Hall says photo and video exhibits show flames or smoke associated with battery and charging equipment, including an image of a warehouse charger allegedly reading around 158°F.
A few days later, on or about July 1, 2024, Hall says his supervisor acknowledged the incident in a one-on-one conversation and told him, “You did all you could do, I’m just glad you’re ok.” Hall points to that remark as evidence that management was aware of both the safety event and his resulting injury.
Following the incident, Hall states that he reported ongoing symptoms and requested reasonable accommodations, including modified duties that would better fit his physical limitations.
“The Cage,” Light-Duty Work, and Alleged Unequal Treatment
A key pillar of Hall’s discrimination theory is what he describes as unequal access to light-duty work following his injury.
According to the complaint, HD Supply maintained an enclosed light-duty section on the warehouse floor, informally known among workers as “the cage.” Employees with medical restrictions, Hall says, were sometimes assigned there to perform less physically demanding tasks.
Hall alleges that:
- Other workers with physical restrictions were given “cage” assignments and lighter duties
- He, despite reporting a back injury and requesting accommodations, was denied comparable light-duty work
- Instead, he was directed to perform more strenuous tasks while still recovering
To support that claim, Hall says he preserved publicly available social-media footage that shows workers performing lighter duties in the cage while he, despite his injury, was assigned heavier work elsewhere. He argues that this discrepancy — particularly in a context he frames as involving race and disability — supports an inference of discrimination and pretext under federal civil-rights laws.
Escalating Tension and a Firing
The complaint alleges that the relationship between Hall and management deteriorated sharply in July 2024.
On or about July 23, 2024, Hall describes a “hostile confrontation” with a supervisor in another department at the distribution center. Around that same time, he claims he raised concerns internally about what he viewed as unfair treatment and ongoing safety issues.
The next day, according to the complaint, that supervisor allegedly made comments about Hall to others after learning that he had filed a written complaint regarding her conduct. Hall cites a notarized witness affidavit that he says recounts statements suggesting retaliation — including threats that he would “get what’s coming.”
Two days later, on July 25, 2024, Hall was out of a job.
The complaint recounts a phone call in which a company representative allegedly informed Hall that he was being terminated for an “outburst” with the supervisor on July 23. When Hall asked what, specifically, he had done or said, the representative allegedly responded that she did not know because she “wasn’t back there when it happened.”
Hall argues that this admission shows that no proper factual investigation was performed before he was fired. He characterizes that as strong evidence that the stated reason for his termination was a pretext — a cover story, he says, for unlawful discrimination and retaliation after he raised concerns about safety and fairness.
Safety Concerns After Hall Left
Hall’s employment at HD Supply ended in July 2024, but his complaint alleges that similar equipment and battery issues continued at the same facility even after he was gone.
On October 23, 2025, more than a year after his termination, a former co-worker allegedly recorded visible smoke coming from a forklift battery compartment inside the same Forest Park distribution center. An internal incident report dated October 28, 2025 describing that event is attached as one of Hall’s exhibits, according to the complaint.
Hall points to this later incident as corroboration of what he says he tried to flag while he was employed — ongoing equipment, battery, and charging hazards that he believes posed serious risks to workers on the warehouse floor.
Medical and Psychological Impact
The lawsuit devotes significant attention to what Hall says are the lasting physical and psychological consequences of the forklift incident and its fallout.
According to the complaint, Hall was evaluated by a licensed psychologist, who diagnosed him with:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (severe)
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Severe anxiety, with associated functional limitations
He also cites an evaluation by an orthopedic specialist that he says documented a lumbar injury and resulted in a permanent partial disability assessment. That work-status note, according to Hall, placed restrictions on the type of physical activity he should perform on the job going forward.
Taken together, Hall claims these medical opinions show he has sustained a permanent injury that limits his ability to work in physically demanding warehouse roles and has reduced his long-term earning capacity.
Out of Work and Alleged Economic Losses
Since his termination on July 25, 2024, Hall alleges he has been unable to secure new employment, despite what he describes as extensive efforts to find work.
The complaint says Hall has:
- Submitted more than 300 job applications
- Reached out to employers and recruiters
- Attended interviews and followed up with prospective employers
- Maintained a detailed mitigation log documenting his job search
Hall argues this record shows he has fulfilled his legal obligation to mitigate his damages. He contends that his ongoing unemployment stems from his injury, the mental-health impact of the events, and the stigma associated with the way his employment ended — not from any unwillingness to work.
He estimates his combined economic and non-economic losses — including back pay, front pay, lost benefits, medical expenses, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life — at not less than $50 million, and notes that the figure could increase as more evidence emerges in discovery.
The Legal Claims: Civil Rights, Disability, and State Law
Hall’s lawsuit rests on a multi-layered legal framework that combines federal civil-rights statutes with state-law tort claims.
Among the causes of action listed in the complaint:
- Race discrimination, based on alleged disparate treatment and termination in violation of federal civil-rights laws
- Hostile work environment, alleging severe or pervasive conduct tied to race and disability
- Retaliation, claiming HD Supply punished him for complaining about discrimination and safety issues
- Disability discrimination and failure to accommodate, alleging the company did not reasonably adjust his duties after his back injury
- Retaliation and interference under federal disability law
- A claim under a federal statute that, in certain race-discrimination cases, allows for uncapped compensatory and punitive damages
- Defamation under Georgia law, based on alleged statements that he was “faking” his injury
- A state-law wrongful termination / retaliatory discharge theory, pled in the alternative
Hall demands a jury trial on all claims that can be decided by a jury and explicitly seeks compensatory, punitive, and, where applicable, liquidated damages.
An Unusually Document-Heavy Pro Se Case
Unlike many pro se employment lawsuits, which are often filed with minimal backup, Hall’s complaint is paired with a large and detailed exhibit set.
According to the filing, his evidence includes:
- His administrative charge and Right-to-Sue notice from a federal civil-rights agency
- Internal performance awards and positive evaluations
- Seventeen notarized witness affidavits
- Safety complaints and incident reports related to forklift batteries and charging equipment
- Photo and video evidence of smoke and alleged overheating equipment
- Medical records, psychological evaluations, and disability notices
- A detailed job-search mitigation log
- Comparator evidence, including images and footage that Hall says show other employees receiving lighter “cage” assignments while he continued heavier work
- Internal incident reports describing the forklift battery event
Hall argues that this record will show not only that HD Supply’s stated reasons for its actions are unfounded, but that its conduct was carried out with “malice or reckless indifference” to his rights — language that mirrors the legal standard for punitive damages in many federal discrimination cases.
Inside HD Supply
While Hall’s lawsuit focuses on one facility and one worker’s experience, it targets a major player in the industrial-supply market.
Founded in 1974, HD Supply has grown into one of the nation’s largest industrial distributors, serving construction, maintenance, and institutional customers across the United States. The company’s business segments include:
- HD Supply HVAC products and systems
- HD Supply flooring materials and installation supplies
- HD Supply appliances for multifamily, hospitality, and commercial properties
- HD Supply facility maintenance inventory and repair solutions
Through its e-commerce platform — often referred to as HD Supply online shopping — the company serves contractors, government agencies, property managers, and maintenance professionals nationwide. It also offers HD Supply net 30 accounts, a trade-credit option allowing qualified customers to purchase materials on 30-day invoicing, widely used in construction and property management as a short-term financing tool.
HD Supply operates numerous locations and employs thousands of workers. Its HD Supply careers portal advertises roles in logistics, warehouse operations, supply-chain management, sales, and corporate functions.
