Punishment for the innocent at WalMart

[suncoasteng]

Now we may loose another overnight option due to over zealous attorneys. Hope a jury may find that the parking lot owner was not at fault

https://www.businessinsider.com/walm...camping-2022-8

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by suncoasteng

Now we may loose another overnight option due to over zealous attorneys. Hope a jury may find that the parking lot owner was not at fault

https://www.businessinsider.com/walm...camping-2022-8

It probably won't go to court, big discussion on this at iRV2, several lawyers over there said Walmart will offer a settlement of an amount less than it would cost them to fight it in court just to make it go away at the cheapest cost. I don't think it's likely that they would lose in court with the absurdity of the claim but it would cost them for the defense.

[baggs]

those poor kiddies....what idiot leaves 9 and 6 year old babies unattended in a rv...

[Gotta_Travel]

Yes, who leaves their little children alone in a car/van ever, let alone at 4:00 in the morning in a Walmart parking lot?!! I would add, who uses a grill and throws it in the back of their car while still hot?!
Mom should have the remaining kid taken away and be put in jail for negligence and stupidity. Mr. Camper with the hot grill ought to be locked up for stupidity, which it looks like he served only 120 days. Walmart ought to sue them both for all their belongings to cover the inconvenience and likely needed repaving.

[99TJSE]

Just remember...these folks vote.

[baggs]

Originally Posted by Gotta_Travel

Yes, who leaves their little children alone in a car/van ever, let alone at 4:00 in the morning in a Walmart parking lot?!! I would add, who uses a grill and throws it in the back of their car while still hot?!
Mom should have the remaining kid taken away and be put in jail for negligence and stupidity. Mr. Camper with the hot grill ought to be locked up for stupidity, which it looks like he served only 120 days. Walmart ought to sue them both for all their belongings to cover the inconvenience and likely needed repaving.

here here!

[baggs]

Originally Posted by 99TJSE

Just remember...these folks vote.

sad indeed

[moosetags]

It saddens me to read about this incident where small children are hurt and killed because of stupid adults. Both of the adults are at fault and WalMart is not.

I don't know which concerns me more, the mother leaving small children alone in the car, or the absolute moron RVer who decided that lighting a grill in the WalMart parking lot was a good idea.

Brian

[CBWELL]

The saddest thing about this whole terrible episode is the blood sucking lawyers that will take most of the money from any settlement! There was stupidity on the part of both parties involved, and both paid a price. The blood suckers are only making thing worse for everyone.

[IdahoTrvlr]

Originally Posted by CBWELL

The saddest thing about this whole terrible episode is the blood sucking lawyers that will take most of the money from any settlement! There was stupidity on the part of both parties involved, and both paid a price. The blood suckers are only making thing worse for everyone.

Attorney are always “blood suckers” until you find yourself with your tail caught in a crack. Then they become your best friend.

And yes, remember these people vote, wonder how many flags were incinerated in this tragedy?

[Saluda372]

Stupid adults, I agree. Poor kid. Have no use for lawyers.

[Shangrila]

Originally Posted by suncoasteng

Now we may loose another overnight option due to over zealous attorneys. Hope a jury may find that the parking lot owner was not at fault

https://www.businessinsider.com/walm...camping-2022-8

I worked for a manufacturing facility for 30 some years and there was a strong safety culture that I at first thought was extreme until I saw people die or become maimed. I changed my tune and realized that safety is so important but safety rules are many times created for either careless and or unaware people. If everyone would just stop for a moment and think about the situation they are in or the dangerous environment they are creating. Many people would be alive today but for some reason people do not stop for just a moment and look around them. What looks dangerous or what has potential to harm. Throwing some bedding on a hot grill is number one on this list. Unfortunately the parents and surviving child will pay a heavy price for someone's carelessness, Rv'ers will also pay some of this cost.

[hairyclive]

Originally Posted by suncoasteng

Now we may loose another overnight option due to over zealous attorneys. Hope a jury may find that the parking lot owner was not at fault

https://www.businessinsider.com/walm...camping-2022-8

Because of the stupid of that the Walmart chain will probably institute a NO OVERNIGHT PARKING OR CAMPING policy in all lots; or make you buy overnight permits with camping insurance at $50 a night

[uncle_bob]

Hi

There are a lot of things that go on in Walmart ( and other ) parking lots. The decision to allow overnight stays has been a local one for quite some time. My guess is that (regardless of this impacting corporate policy or not) it *will* move more locations from the "allow overnight" to the "nope, no can do" category.

Bob

[MMCMRET]

A tragedy on many fronts. Nobody will win with this one.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

It probably won't go to court, big discussion on this at iRV2, several lawyers over there said Walmart will offer a settlement of an amount less than it would cost them to fight it in court just to make it go away at the cheapest cost. I don't think it's likely that they would lose in court with the absurdity of the claim but it would cost them for the defense.

First, I agree, companies settle because it's cheaper than paying the lawyers and still risk losing.
But the short sightedness of that attitude is it encourages other people to sue over stupid stuff. We've seen the Muppet theme park sued for $25 million because a character didn't hug a certain child.
My parents, although we never had money for entertainment, would be mortified if I cried about a character. "So what? Life's not fair."
Deep Pockets get sued.

[Mike1997]

If you read the details in the complaint, this terrible event did not involve any type of RV. It was 2 different mini-vans that were parked side by side near the front of the store. The guy used a camp stove and put it into the rear of his van before driving into a space next to the van with the children. Besides him being convicted and sentenced to 180 days in jail, both vehicle owners were required by law to have adequate insurance to cover loss of life.
The act of cooking on the surface of a parking lot is a violation of the rules Walmart sets for overnight parking. Its not a campsite and no one should be unpacking their supplies.
I do not see where Walmart has any responsibility unless that particular store has a roving security who did not make rounds. I hope this case is dismissed.

[Vlamgat]

Lawyers are not the issue here. Some people are just born this way and our system adjudicates between the Clever and the Stupid using lawyers. And we signed off on punishing the Stupid (who may have just been Too Clever) with financial hardship of one kind or another. We the people have approved of this for the last 70 or 80 years and its become a nice trough at which some can graze.

The alternative is Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Mali, Niger, Chad, Saudi Arabia, Yemen... all the delightful tourist haunts where decisions like this are made arbitrarily or not at all.

So people don't blame the lawyers, they are just doing what we elected people to permit them. When the chances to change the system came up, they were mostly ignored by all except the lawyers who fought valiantly and successfully to maintain their feeding frenzy - as would anyone else.