When Missouri Wal-Mart employee Deborah Shank was left brain damaged after a tragic collision with a semi-trailer truck seven years ago, her Wal-Mart health care plan paid her initial medical bills. As it became evident that Deborah would need a lifetime of professional care for her debilitating condition, her family resorted to drastic measures to cover expenses. The Shanks successfully sued the trucking company responsible for the accident, and created a special trust to pay for Deborah's future, ongoing medical expenses.
Any hope of financial security for Deborah's care was crushed, however, when Wal-Mart sued the Shank family for $470,000 - the amount it paid in medical expenses, plus the company's legal expenses and attorney's fees. The retailer's demands will completely drain the settlement money from Deborah's trust and force her to rely on public assistance for her medical and living expenses.
As Wal-Mart publicly touts its new health care plan and pays big dollars for holiday public relations campaigns in attempts to bolster its bad reputation, this story once again exposes the company's poor business practices and total disregard for the health and welfare of its employees.
Wal-Mart Watch launched a fundraising drive to help support Mrs. Shank, and pledged to match all donated funds dollar-for-dollar. Click here to donate now. For more information on the story of Deborah Shank and Wal-Mart, read the Wall Street Journal article that brought the story to national attention last week and watch Jim and Chris Shank on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet.
The Shanks' story is a reminder this holiday season that Wal-Mart's low costs come with a very high price paid by American families like the Shanks every day.
Sorry but that is how it works.
You have health insurance and are injured by some one else being careless - like another driver in this case.
Your health insuance pays the bills.
You either sue or the case is settled but the other dirver's insurance antes up the money for your damages - WHICH INCLUDE YOUR MEDICAL BILLS!!
Doesn't matter if you bought your health insurance on your own, or it is from your employer or whether it is Medicaid or Medicare. Your health insurer is entitled to be reimbursed for the bills which it paid out on the injuries caused by someone else who has had to cough up the money.
You do not get to double dip by getting the bills paid by your insurer AND getting money from the other guy for the medical bills as well.
Sorry but (and I hate to admit it) but Walmart is in the right in this one.
If the woman had not had coverage and ended up on Medicaid so the state was paying the bills for her care because of the accident, Medicaid would also have taken the settlement money to reimburse it for the bills it paid.
Ditto Blue Cross, ditto Medicare, ditto any health insurer in the US.
Before you get all worked up - LEARN THE LAW!!
I can't imagine that this is good publicity and that this multi billion dollar corporation would be so calloused as to sue a disabled woman for almost half a million dollars. Then again, most people probably aren't paying attention. Others have been so brainwashed by Fox News and the Republican Party that they believe that business should be allowed to run roughshod, without restraint, lest they have pay a few cents more for a pair of sneakers.
WalMart destroys communities and the Republicans destroy countries. They both appeal to greed. The difference is that rich Republicans wouldn't be caught dead in a WalMart but poor Democrats are there all the time.
I don't get this. What if say these folks had sold their house to pay for the care? Would they then owe Wall Mart that money? Does Wall Mart have a deed on this family so that every thing they own belongs to Wall Mart?