"Most Sued Company in America" Denies Use of Motorized Wheelchair to Disabled Veteran
A Wal-Mart store in Roanoke Rapids, Virginia allegedly denied use of a motorized electric wheelchair to a disabled veteran-twice--when he attempted to shop at the store.
On Father's Day, Thomas Young went to the Wal-Mart store with his grandson Zack to pick up a few things as a favor for his wife. Mr. Young is an amputee who recently lost his leg due to diabetes complications, so even something like running to Wal-Mart can be challenging. Most people take for granted that they can easily park and walk into the store to shop without any hassles. He says he is doing the best he can to cope with his new disability but these incidents were hard to swallow.
When Mr. Young and his grandson arrived at Wal-Mart he sent his grandson into the store to get an electric cart while he waited in the truck. A few minutes later his grandson returned, but without the wheelchair cart. Zack said he was told that he could not take the wheelchair out of the store to assist his grandfather because it was against store policy. Stunned, Mr. Young returned home without shopping at Wal-Mart.
Back at the Young residence he explained to his wife what had happened and she called the store to ask for an explanation. She spoke with the store manager and he apologized for the situation and told her that what Zack had been told about store policy was not true. He invited Mr. Young to come back to Wal-Mart and shop any time.
So given that the manager of Wal-Mart apologized and asked Mr. Young to come shop again, what do you think happened the next day when Mr. Young and his grandson returned to the Wal-Mart store?
Once again they arrived at Wal-Mart and Zack went to get a wheelchair for his grandfather. Mr. Young waited in the truck for his grandson to bring the electric cart out so he could go into the store and shop. Does this sound familiar? Zack returned to the truck without the wheelchair. He said he tried to get one and bring it out to Mr. Young but he was stopped and told he wasn't allowed to do that.
What exactly is Wal-Mart's policy regarding the motorized carts? Does anyone really know or are they making it up as they go along?
A spokesman for Wal-Mart said that the wheelchair shopping carts are available at the stores for people with disabilities, such as Mr. Young. The official rule is that they can leave the store, but only if accompanied by an employee of the store. So were the Wal-Mart employees just too lazy to walk out into the parking lot with Zack so that he could assist his grandfather? Perhaps. The store says it is looking into the incidents and has apologized again to Mr. Young.
Mr. Young says that he plans to write a letter to the Wal-Mart corporate headquarters but that he has no plans to sue over the incidents. No one has quantified the oft-heard claim that Wal-Mart is the "most sued company in America", but anecdotal evidence isn't looking good for the chain, which recently settled a lawsuit after employees sat on and killed a young father accused of shoplifting less than $100 in merchandise.
