Although Wal-Mart may not be the paragon of virtue when it comes to following all the rules, it does follow some and when it does it gets sued.
This time, the giant corporation is being sued not for failing to do its job, but for failing to figure out if someone lied to them. The story, while tragic, points to another issue--the habit of America to turn to the courts to assuage their grief. Granted, the family involved suffered a severe tragedy, but that does not entitle them to a windfall payday from a company that followed the rules.
I don't know what to do for families who have lost a loved one, but I will say this, the courts are not necessarily the place to find the answer. Should people and companies be held liable for their negligence and their failings--absolutely. But the families of victims should also be accountable for their actions. This family who had a severly mentally ill member did nothing to monitor her movements, to keep tabs on her. How could they have allowed such a woman to go to a store to buy a weapon.
Here, Wal-Mart did right and they should not be punished for the negligence of the family. My heart goes out to the family, but beyond that they need to find another way to deal with their grief.
Related article from etalkinghead.com
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