March 25, 2008

The Biggest Bullshit Ever!


There's been a lot of comments from Christians and non-Christians alike this last week or so and that's great. However, for today's post I actually expect us all to agree... for once.

Debbie Shank is a former employee of Wal-Mart. About eight years ago she was involved in a terrible traffic accident that left her brain damaged. Because of the accident she was left in a wheelchair, lost most of her short-term memory, and now must live in a nursing home.

At the time of the accident she was covered under Wal-Mart's health care plan. For her health care Wal-Mart paid out approximately $470,000.

Jump to two years later, Shank was awarded one million dollars from the trucking company that was involved in the crash. After taxes and other expenses she ended up with about $417,000. This money was set aside to ensure that Shank would be able to receive long term care.

A few years later Debbie's son, Jeremy, was sent to Iraq to serve in the military. Two weeks later he was killed in battle. Because of her condition she cannot remember that her son is dead. Even though she attended his funeral, she continues to ask how her son is doing. Every time she must be re-told that he is dead, and she reacts same way she did the first time she was told.

The bullshit started when Wal-Mart found out that she was awarded money from the lawsuit with the trucking company. Wal-Mart decided that because she received $417,000 from the lawsuit with the trucking company, that she needed to pay Wal-Mart back for much of the health care they payed for her; the money she received from the insurance. According to the fine print to Wal-Mart's health insurance plan, if you receive money from a lawsuit, you must pay back whatever amount the insurance paid for health care.

Wal-Mart sued the brain-damaged woman for the $417,000 and won. They appealed to the ruling to the supreme court, but lost.

When Wal-Mart was asked why they pursued the money from a brain-damaged woman considering circumstances, the official word was this, "Wal-Mart's plan is bound by very specific rules. ... We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank's case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan."

So who do you think really needs and deserves this money? A poor brain damaged woman who's husband works two jobs to pay medical bills. Or a retail giant that made $90 Billion alone in it's 2007 third quarter?

This is pure bullshit. Source

4 comments:

A Term of Acceptance said...

Though I tend not to use derogatory words, I fully agree with you.

I am not explicitly anti-Wall-mart but seriously.... That's just cruel.

As if Wall-mart actually needed ANY of that money...

Beyond words, oh well though, that's society for you, "if you can get it whether you need it or not and with no regard for anyone else, go get it by all means!"

dissgusting

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Evilshadow said...

Well obviusly it's a little cruel to sue someone in such trouble. They could have easialy looked throu they're fingers a little on this one, but in all fairness to wal-mart thats how the rules are and thats covered in the contract.

Now if it's fair/nice to have that line in the contract in the first place is a totaly different thing. It's kind of like "We'll give you money...but only if absolutly noone else cares..." Witch is kind of bad when they already enjoy PLENTY of profits...

Anonymous said...

It stinks.

but

fine print in contracts are there for a reason.

In my contracts they protect me and my clients.

always read the fine print.