TRAMPLED BY SHOPPERS?
In November 2003, a sale on DVD players at a Florida Wal-Mart created a rush of shoppers that apparently resulted in one woman being trampled.
Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. announcing the start to the post-Thanksgiving sale, the 41-year-old was knocked to the ground by the frenzy of shoppers. "She got pushed down, and they walked over her like a herd of elephants," said VanLester’s sister. "I told them, ’Stop stepping on my sister! She’s on the ground!’"
Paramedics arrived and found the victim on top of a DVD player and surrounded by seemingly indifferent shoppers. VanLester was flown to a medical center for treatment.
Wal-Mart officials called to apologize and offered to put a DVD player on hold for VanLester. Spokesperson Karen Burk commented, "We are very disappointed this happened. We want her to come back as a shopper."
Later it was discovered that the injured woman had a history of similar claims. VanLester had collected thousands of dollars from several previous alleged incidents of injury.
("Woman Knocked Over by Trampling Shoppers," CNN.com (11-29-03); "Trampled Shopper Is Injury Prone," CBSnews.com (12-5-03). From a sermon by Terry Blankenship, The Woe Everyone Knows, 5/29/2012)