Thanksgiving Melee?
 

Woman Trampled in Fla. Shopping Rush



(AP) Patty VanLester of Orange City is shown in an undated family photo in Orange City, Fla. VanLester, 41, was first in line to grab a $29 DVD player at Wal-Mart early Friday, Nov. 28, 2003, when she was knocked to the ground by a frenzy of shoppers.

ORANGE CITY, Fla. (AP) - A mob of shoppers rushing for a sale on DVD players trampled the first woman in line and knocked her unconscious as they scrambled for the shelves at a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. Friday announcing the start to the post-Thanksgiving sale, the 41-year-old was knocked to the ground by the frenzy of shoppers behind her.

"She got pushed down, and they walked over her like a herd of elephants," said VanLester's sister, Linda Ellzey. "I told them, `Stop stepping on my sister! She's on the ground!'"

Ellzey said some shoppers tried to help VanLester, and one employee helped Ellzey reach her sister, but most people just continued their rush for deals.

"All they cared about was a stupid DVD player," she said Saturday.

Paramedics called to the store found VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player, surrounded by shoppers seemingly oblivious to her, said Mark O'Keefe, a spokesman for EVAC Ambulance.

She was flown to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where doctors told the family VanLester had a seizure after she was knocked down and would likely remain hospitalized through the weekend, Ellzey said. Hospital officials said Saturday they did not have any information on her condition.

"She's all black and blue," Ellzey said. "Patty doesn't remember anything. She still can't believe it all happened."

Ellzey said Wal-Mart officials called later Friday to ask about her sister, and the store apologized and offered to put a DVD player on hold for her.

Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman Karen Burk said she had never heard of a such a melee during a sale.

"We are very disappointed this happened," Burk said. "We want her to come back as a shopper."


http://detnow.com/news/0311300901.htm

As a PR major who has worked on Crisis Management case studies and devised a strategic and tactical plan for a corporation, I AM SICKENED to hear about this incident. It is so unfortunate that this poor lady got trampled by these crazy ass penny pinchers.

As soon as an employee noticed someone was knocked unconscious (spelling?) someone should have gotten on a loudspeaker and told these stupid people to calm the hell down because people were getting hurt.

And put the DVD player on hold? I'm sure that's the last thing this lady is worried about. GIVE HER the damn thing for free. What's a lost $29 in a large corporation? A penny to the average Joe.

I am appalled that Walmart offered to put the DVD player on hold. I agree, $29 to a major corp is a penny to the average person.
I would think that Walmart should be giving this woman the DVD player, along with paying those medical bills. In a sue happy society, they should tread lightly and do all they can to avoid suit.

-wendi

If I'm not mistaken this is the same woman who has sued stores NINE times and has received thousands of dollars in settlements.

She's a fraud if you ask me and I think Wal-Mart (where she used to work and collected a lot in workers comp) should be sued herself.

Aabby, could you clarify? Maybe a link to a related story??

Yep, I read the same thing. I'm not sure if it was my local news I saw it on or something online.

sarcasm
Wow.. lightening does really strike twice. Wal Marts in her area might be really dangerous. Big business is always trying to make a quick buck... All at the expense of the little guy. This lady deserves a pay day.
/sarcasm

'Trampled' Wal-Mart Shopper Has History Of Injury Claims

Report: Woman Has Filed 15 Previous Claims, 8 At Wal-Mart Stores
POSTED: 5:25 p.m. EST December 4, 2003
UPDATED: 6:50 p.m. EST December 9, 2003

ORANGE CITY, Fla. -- A woman reported "trampled" last Friday by Wal-Mart shoppers desperate for $29.87 DVD players has a long history of claiming injuries from Wal-Marts and other businesses where she worked or shopped.

Patricia Vanlester, 41, was knocked unconscious and, her sister said, "trampled by a herd of elephants" by a stampede of shoppers reaching for DVD players that went on sale at 6 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving, according to Orange City police and the sister, Linda Ellzey.

The story was picked up by the Associated Press and carried in newspapers and other media as far away as Australia and China, an example -- some commentators have opined -- of American excess during the holiday shopping season.

An investigation by WKMG-Local 6 reveals Vanlester has filed 15 previous claims of injuries at Wal-Mart stores and other places she has shopped or worked, according to Wal-Mart, court files and state records. Her sister, who accompanied her Friday on the visit to Wal-Mart, has also filed a prior injury claim against Wal-Mart, with Vanlester as her witness, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

Asked whether Vanlester's frequent injury claims might cast doubt on the veracity of her latest allegation, her attorney, David L. Sweat, of Port Orange, said, "No comment." He did stress, though, that Vanlester "has not filed a claim nor have we decided to file one" related to last week's incident.

Wal-Mart is reviewing store videotapes "as we look into the claim," spokeswoman Karen Burk said last week from the massive retailer's Bentonville, Ark., headquarters. "We will investigate this claim as thoroughly as we have the other 10 claims that this customer and her sister have brought against our stores in the past." Wal-Mart later reduced the figure to nine prior claims.

click on the title to read the rest of the story

I really can't feel too sorry for her. After all, it's Wal-Mart.