Wal-Mart To Pay $2 Million Over Black Friday Stampede Death
USA Todayreports that Wal-Mart is going to spend $2 million to improve safety at 92 New York Wal-Mart stores over the death of temporary employee Jdimytai Damour on Black Friday last year. Jdimytai Damour was trampled when a sea of two thousand shoppers stormed a Long Island Walmart as its doors opened at 5 a.m. on Black Friday. The settlement allows Wal-Mart to avoid criminal charges.
Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said that if she had brought criminal charges against the store in the worker’s death, it would have been subject to only a $10,000 fine if convicted.
Instead, the AP reports, Rice said Wal-Mart has agreed to implement an improved crowd-management plan for the "Black Friday" sales, set up a $400,000 victims’ compensation and remuneration fund, and give $1.5 million to Nassau County social services programs and nonprofit groups.
The New York Daily Newssays Jdimytai Damour's family is not happy with the settlement and rejected it as "shameful." Hopefully, Wal-Mart will do more to prepare for Black Friday in other states as well. The New York stores were not the only Wal-Mart stores will out-of-control crowds on Black Friday last year.
