Woman knocked unconscious by trampling shoppers
( 2003-12-01 09:53) (Agencies)

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.

Customers wait to enter a Wal-Mart in Cortland, New York, early Friday morning. In Florida, one woman was trampled during the shopping blitz.
"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."

End of Story
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Who pays for the Hospital stay?

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They OFFERED to put a DVD PLAYER on HOLD for the shopper who was injured in the line of shopping duty.

However, it can actually be a very deep philosophical question. The United States continues to talk about freedom as it relates to the economy, yet medical expenses continue to rise.

This women probably will be staring at a $15,000 dollar hospital bill. Either she pays it or someone pays it for her. I'm just curious who SHOULD pay for it.

What does 'rating sweeps month' mean?

'However, it can actually be a very deep philosophical question.
The United States continues to talk about freedom as it relates
to the economy, yet medical expenses continue to rise.'

Then we need to clarify which area of moral and/or ethical
socio-political and/or socio-philosophical spheres that concerns
us. The - unfairly disproportionate, as you perceive it - rise
in American medical expenses is a governmental issue more than
a philosophical one per se. In other words, any amelioration
is achieved politically and not so much philosophically.

'This women probably will be staring at a $15,000 dollar hospital
bill. Either she pays it or someone pays it for her. I'm
just curious who SHOULD pay for it.'

The answer is usually dependant on the individual's social
status and financial capabilites? If it transpires that the
individual is financially incapable of paying the bill, and
the State, in turn, equally refuses, then we effectively find
ourselves facing a reformist issue - which is, of course,
'a whole different ball game,' as you Americans put it.

'I don't know if it's fair to say that "she knew the risks".'

A $29 DVD player? She knew the risks all right.

'In the U.S. the whole goal is to provide a risk free environment
at all times.'

This is logistically impossible to achieve, and naively stupid
to even attempt. Utopianist claptrap. (Marxist ideology?)

'Whether a virtual risk free environment is a valid goal or not
(another topic perhaps?), she probably has a lawsuit in her future.'

No, for the aforsaid reason. Any counter-lawsuit is just another
disregardable perpetuation of the boring 'compensation culture'
epoch we now find ourselves relectantly living in.

I'm really sorry the poor woman got crumpled - it could have
been my mother out here - but to camp out (as she undoubtedly did),
and risk life and limb for the sake of bloody $29 DVD player,
is preposterous.

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Lawsuits don't just reward the alleged victim, they also force the store to take pre-emptive measures in the future.

When the hordes of shoppers stormed through the door at the beginning of the day, they already were walking through modified rules and changes brought about from previous lawsuits in regards to how the doors can work, which way they must swing, width, type of glass to prevent shattering...etc.

Sadly, without lawsuits, coporations would drag their feet when it comes to safeguarding their stores.

I will be really curious what happens in this instance. I gotta believe it will be a settlement.

If this methodology is as commonly known as it seems, why
do you think these advertising companies allow themselves
to be convinced by, what it is, essentially, disingenuous
figures?

'When the hordes of shoppers stormed through the door at
the beginning of the day, they already were walking through
modified rules and changes brought about from previous
lawsuits in regards to how the doors can work, which way
they must swing, width, type of glass to prevent shattering...etc.'

This is structural ergonomics, but it wasn't ergonomics that
crushed the shopper, it was other shoppers. People and
people's emotions. These things are far harder to rectify.

'Sadly, without lawsuits, coporations would drag their feet
when it comes to safeguarding their stores.'

Indeed.

'I will be really curious what happens in this instance.
I gotta believe it will be a settlement.'

The perennial problem, of course, for corporations is what
sort of litigious precedent is set if the case goes against
them. Inveterate addicts (cigarettes, food, etc.) are now
espied taking Marlboro and McDonalds (respectively) to court
all the time. There isn't really any justification for this,
but nevertheless, it happens. A socio-cultural shift has
taken place in which the pedestrian now feels empowered
enough to feel that they can any body to any court for any
reason.

'If the situation is resolved without a lawsuit, what will
Walmart do differently, on their own, the first day after
Thanksgiving for next year to prevent a repeat of what
happened this year.'

Only Walmart echelons know this, but I'm sure it won't
hinder their capitalistic plans for next year's sale in
the slightest. Business is business.

Typical attitude of big business.

'I don't know if it's fair to say that "she knew the risks".'

A $29 DVD player? She knew the risks all right.

Getting trampled on whilst waiting in a line is not an every day experience or even a common one.
However ,she now has no excuse given her experience of this.unless this behaviour is quite common in America, in which case, i stand corrected.

Also, another example of how WalMart affects the local community...

Here is a link to the "Just-In-Time" Walmart plan...

Just-In-Time On Call Walmart Plan

And I think the position taken by the somewhat opposing viewpoint was "guns don't kill people, people do", rephrased as "Walmart didn't cause the women's injuries, it was the stampeding masses that caused it".