The family of Jdimytai Damour, the worker who was trampled to death on Black Friday, is suing
Wal-Mart, the security company and the owner of the property for wrongful death. The lawsuit alleges that the store ads "created an atmosphere of competition and anxiety" that led to "crowd craze."
The lawsuit claims that besides failing to provide adequate security for a pre-dawn crowd estimated at 2,000, Wal-Mart "engaged in specific marketing and advertising techniques to specifically attract a large crowd and create an environment of frenzy and mayhem and was otherwise careless, reckless and negligent."
Wal-Mart issued a statement saying it would cooperate with local law enforcement officials to develop stronger safety measures for the future.
"We consider Mr. Damour part of the Wal-Mart family, and are saddened by his death," the statement said. "We have been in communication with members of his family to do what we can to help them through this difficult time. Our associates know that when incidents like this occur, we take care of our own."
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The 6-foot-5, 270-pound man died of asphyxiation after being crushed early Friday morning by the crowd, which broke down the electronic doors in frantic pursuit of bargains. At least four other people were treated at hospitals, including a woman who was eight months pregnant.
The entire incident is horrifying. We think that this case is going to lead to changes in how retailers advertise and monitor future Black Friday sales. Best Buy, for example, hands out tickets beforehand to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen. This should become standard practice, in our opinion.
