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DeGroote vs Walmart
We need your help…we are up against the Goliath Walmart!
As many of you know, Don suffered a fall in a Walmart store five years ago that dramatically altered the course of our lives. His toe caught the edge of a pallet that was left empty and unattended. As he turned into the isle it was sitting in, he lost his balance and fell face first into a glass display case causing unconsciousness for over 5 minutes (Walmart's neurologist determined from video that he was actually in a quadriplegic state for at least that amount of time). As seen on the video, all employees immediately left the area. A supervisor finally came to the scene and then determined that there was no need to call 911 and proceeded to have someone try to help Don into a low camp chair-this is contrary to all acceptable standard protocol dealing with head injuries. As a result, he sustained significant injury to his neck and has since undergone six spinal cord surgeries, one maxillary, and one shoulder surgery. One of the experts stated that someone of his size would not be expected to see this while moving in another direction. Today, he is still without feeling in his right leg and a portion of his left arm due to what is likely permanent nerve damage, and it looks like another surgery may be on the near horizon. As you can imagine, this injury has had a massive effect on our lives, basically eliminating Don’s ability to work and landing us with a collection of expenses and hardships we had never imagined we’d need to face.
To date, any and all of our attempts to receive compensation from Walmart have been firmly denied. Our attorney has advised us that Walmart is unlikely to pay any amount that is not demanded by a Judge or jury-we have tried to mediate with no response. We will most likely have to take them to court to pursue any financial response from them, and we’ve been told the court process is likely to cost upwards of $200,000-our cost for experts that can battle it out with Harvard trained Walmart experts and take as long as a decade to complete. It’s a daunting journey to be facing at this point, already several years into an equally difficult journey we weren’t expecting.
Don and I have been so moved by the care, thoughtfulness, and support we have received from our community during this time. You have been our strength, our cheerleaders, our transportation system and our dear friends. We thank you.
Asking for help is never easy, but the debt we’ve accrued paying for Don’s surgeries and care, as well as making up for his loss of income, is overwhelming, and we’ve reached a point where we are humbly asking for your help. We would like to see Walmart take responsibility for the damage their recklessness has done to our lives and future. This will only happen if we can pay upfront for the costs of seeking court ordered financial compensation! We need to create the best possible circumstances for Don to continue to heal, to regain what mobility he can, and to rebuild our real estate business to the best of our ability while continuing his care. Anything that you are able to contribute will help us to gain the financial means necessary to take on a self-serving corporate giant making it possible for us to pursue justice. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts-this will make it possible to live our lives out to the best of our ability.
We believe strongly in the power of community, and are so grateful for your time, help, and love. I’m not sure where we would be if it were not for your support. Thank you, with all of our hearts - Gwen and Don
We need your help…we are up against the Goliath Walmart!
As many of you know, Don suffered a fall in a Walmart store five years ago that dramatically altered the course of our lives. His toe caught the edge of a pallet that was left empty and unattended. As he turned into the isle it was sitting in, he lost his balance and fell face first into a glass display case causing unconsciousness for over 5 minutes (Walmart's neurologist determined from video that he was actually in a quadriplegic state for at least that amount of time). As seen on the video, all employees immediately left the area. A supervisor finally came to the scene and then determined that there was no need to call 911 and proceeded to have someone try to help Don into a low camp chair-this is contrary to all acceptable standard protocol dealing with head injuries. As a result, he sustained significant injury to his neck and has since undergone six spinal cord surgeries, one maxillary, and one shoulder surgery. One of the experts stated that someone of his size would not be expected to see this while moving in another direction. Today, he is still without feeling in his right leg and a portion of his left arm due to what is likely permanent nerve damage, and it looks like another surgery may be on the near horizon. As you can imagine, this injury has had a massive effect on our lives, basically eliminating Don’s ability to work and landing us with a collection of expenses and hardships we had never imagined we’d need to face.
To date, any and all of our attempts to receive compensation from Walmart have been firmly denied. Our attorney has advised us that Walmart is unlikely to pay any amount that is not demanded by a Judge or jury-we have tried to mediate with no response. We will most likely have to take them to court to pursue any financial response from them, and we’ve been told the court process is likely to cost upwards of $200,000-our cost for experts that can battle it out with Harvard trained Walmart experts and take as long as a decade to complete. It’s a daunting journey to be facing at this point, already several years into an equally difficult journey we weren’t expecting.
Don and I have been so moved by the care, thoughtfulness, and support we have received from our community during this time. You have been our strength, our cheerleaders, our transportation system and our dear friends. We thank you.
Asking for help is never easy, but the debt we’ve accrued paying for Don’s surgeries and care, as well as making up for his loss of income, is overwhelming, and we’ve reached a point where we are humbly asking for your help. We would like to see Walmart take responsibility for the damage their recklessness has done to our lives and future. This will only happen if we can pay upfront for the costs of seeking court ordered financial compensation! We need to create the best possible circumstances for Don to continue to heal, to regain what mobility he can, and to rebuild our real estate business to the best of our ability while continuing his care. Anything that you are able to contribute will help us to gain the financial means necessary to take on a self-serving corporate giant making it possible for us to pursue justice. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts-this will make it possible to live our lives out to the best of our ability.
We believe strongly in the power of community, and are so grateful for your time, help, and love. I’m not sure where we would be if it were not for your support. Thank you, with all of our hearts - Gwen and Don