Lawsuit: Man refuses to show receipt at Costco exit, employee breaks man’s leg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Q13 FOX News Staff,


http://i.imgur.com/pDBbnRm.jpg

PORTLAND — A man who claims he was simply trying to leave a Costco without a checker reviewing his receipt has filed a $670,000 lawsuit against the grocery giant after he says his leg was broken by a exit employee who refused to let him leave.

As reported by the Oregonian, Timothy Walls left Costco on Jan. 28, 2013 with a broken leg following a fight with two men checking his receipt at Costco’s exit.

Wall had just purchased $102.66 worth of goods at the 138th Avenue Costco in Portland, the Oregonian claims. He was headed toward the exit when — as per store policy — an employee asked to see his receipt. Wall allegedly refused, the Oregonian reported, and the employee allegedly grabbed his cart and told him he couldn’t leave.

According to the suit, Wall grabbed the employee by the collar when he refused to let him go. That’s when another employee came up from behind and used a “martial arts type strike” to Wall’s leg, breaking it in multiple places, the suit claims.

Wall alleges he had already left the store when he was stopped by an employee, but Costco claims he was still in the exit breezeway, the Oregonian reported. According to store policy, checkers are supposed to ask for a receipt, “to ensure that all members are correctly charged for the merchandise purchased.”

Wall’s attorney told the Oregonian that employees didn’t have a reasonable suspicion to suspect he was stealing anything, so they had no right to take hold of his merchandise. The suit claims that the store’s policy of checking receipts shouldn’t be detainment, but instead membership cancellation.

Costco claims Wall’s injuries were a direct result of his own actions, the Oregonian reported.

According to the suit, Wall is seeking $150,000 for medical expenses, $20,000 for lost wages and $500,000 for pain and suffering.

[FBD]

how many fuggin times ya been to costco. they dont let you out the door without checking that shit, fuck this guy

[perrhaps]

how many fuggin times ya been to costco. they dont let you out the door without checking that shit, fuck this guy

It's also in the membership Rules on their webpage, and given to you when you join. Want privacy? Stay the hell home and shop online.

[redred]

:faint:i don't get it FBD sticking up for the multi country firm :lol:


aside from that all the guy had to do was what everyone else has to do and show his receipt

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Besides the guy just being an asshole and most likely out looking for some kind of lawsuit, I highly doubt that some clerk at Costco went all Chuck Norris on his leg :lol:

[FBD]

damn near every business has to involve some sort of measure to quality check what's going out the door, and this guy was being a dick :D I'm not automatically against a company, juts when people/companies/goverments/etc pull stupid bullshit. if there was no measure in place like this at costco then this lawsuit would be justified, but the guy already agreed to the membership agreement.

balls, strikes....whatever. callin' em as I see 'em :dance:

this isnt something like a(n unconstitutional) police checkpoint where they're asking you for your papers just because they feel like they can make up any sort of rules they want...this is an explicitly entered into and signed agreement.

[Hal-9000]

Besides the guy just being an asshole and most likely out looking for some kind of lawsuit, I highly doubt that some clerk at Costco went all Chuck Norris on his leg :lol:

it only takes 7 lbs pressure against a limb that's bearing weight....or use the old school chop block that NFL linemen used to use on the side of the knee...

don't mean to stick up for Chuck Costco Norris, but it's not hard to do a limb if the conditions are right :oops:


Court will probably find that customer touched clerk first, clerk responded and customer will get minimal fine, clerk will get sued in civil action for meeeeeelions

[Teh One Who Knocks]

it only takes 7 lbs pressure against a limb that's bearing weight....or use the old school chop block that NFL linemen used to use on the side of the knee...

don't mean to stick up for Chuck Costco Norris, but it's not hard to do a limb if the conditions are right :oops:


Court will probably find that customer touched clerk first, clerk responded and customer will get minimal fine, clerk will get sued in civil action for meeeeeelions

I used Chuck Norris because the guy's lawsuit describes a “martial arts type strike” :nono:

[Acid Trip]

Wall grabbed the employee by the collar when he refused to let him go.

So the customer accosted the employee and then got his ass kicked. Sounds like he was the aggressor.

Now that I work for a law firm I get to hear about crazy shit like this on a daily basis.

[redred]

i'd think there would be a lot of cctv around

[Muddy]

Costcos at fault.. You cant do this stuff. Sorry. Call the cops next time.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

While we all know Costco policy, I dont see any way they wont be paying out, since they attacked this guy with such force

[Hal-9000]

that's kinda what I was alluding to...even with the customer first violating the employer (touching collar = a form of assault)....what the employee did in retaliation will be worth millions to the guy...

[FBD]

...and at this point we need to look at the locality...

Portland Oregon. Who the fuck knows how those whack jobs there would call it.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Put me on the jury, the asshat wouldn't get a dime

[deebakes]

fuckin' obama :x

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Kathryn Schroeder - Opposing Views


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A Portland, Oregon, man has lost his $610,000 lawsuit against Costco Wholesale stemming from an incident in 2013 where he allegedly refused to show his receipt when leaving the store and subsequently broke his leg during an altercation with a staff member.

Timothy Walls, 38, sued Costco for $110,000 in medical bills and lost wages and up to $500,000 for pain and suffering, The Oregonian reports.

Costco claimed that Walls refused to show his receipt to an employee upon leaving the store and that he became so upset he assaulted the man, picking him up by his shirt collar and shoving him against a pillar.

The employee reportedly weighed about 130 pounds; Walls weighed 320 pounds.

A second employee came to the aid of his co-worker and Walls grabbed him by his collar, swore, and pushed him, according to Costco. The employee tripped Walls in self-defense during the dispute.

There was no surveillance camera footage of the incident.

Walls suffered a broken leg from the fall that required two surgeries, being bedridden for weeks, the need to move in with his mother, and the use of crutches or a cane for nine months in order to walk.

His attorney said in court that he had made a “bad decision” to push the first employee, but that the second employee used excessive force by tripping him.

Walls also claimed in court that he always showed his receipt in the past but on this occasion the employee had his back turned to him and did not ask to see it as Walls left the store. When he was stopped, Walls claims to have offered his receipt to be checked.

"I had my receipt in my hand and said, 'Here it was, OK?' And he didn't care,'" Walls said. "He's still saying, 'It doesn't matter, we still have to go inside.' ... He's acting like he's going to haul me back inside. I didn't understand. ... I'm yelling 'Somebody get a manager! Somebody call police!'"

At the time Walls filed the lawsuit, he claimed Costco had no right to detain him because he would not show his receipt, The Oregonian reported.

By becoming a member of Costco you are upheld to its policies, and the checking of receipts is one of them.

“To ensure that all members are correctly charged for the merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be inspected as you leave the warehouse,” the Costco membership policy states on its website.

After about two hours of deliberation, the jury found 9-3 that the Costco employee did not unlawfully restrain Walls’ “freedom of movement" and therefore did not award him damages in the lawsuit.

[Hal-9000]

Sounds like the guy touched or assaulted the first Walmart employee. From that point forward he's in the wrong if someone else witnessed the contact


Walmart - 1
Jabba - 0