Woman falsely accused of shoplifting to get $2.1 mn in damages from Walmart

A woman, who was falsely accused of shoplifting by Walmart, has been awarded $2.1 million in damages in Alabama, the United States.

She was also allegedly threatened by the American multinational retail corporation, a report said.

Also Read:Pfizer seeks US FDA approval for Covid boosters for teens aged 16-17

Add WION as a Preferred Source

After the woman’s case against the retail company was dismissed, a Mobile County Court ruled for Lesleigh nurse on Monday.

The incident happened in 2016. At that time, the nurse was stopped while she was trying to exit Walmart with groceries after the self-checkout machine she used to pay froze, she said.

As per the lawsuit, the nurse had informed the employees that she had already paid, but they did not think she was telling the truth. At the end, the nurse was arrested for shoplifting.

Also Read:Three teenagers dead, eight wounded in US high school shooting

In 2017, the case was dismissed. Nurse alleged that a law firm kept sending letters and threatened to sue if she did not pay a settlement fee of $200.

The $200 was the price of the groceries the nurse had taken, and she claimed Walmart had directed the law firm to send her the letters.

As per the lawsuit, "The defendants have engaged in a pattern and practice of falsely accusing innocent Alabama citizens of shoplifting and thereafter attempting to collect money from the innocently accused."

(With inputs from agencies)