Wal-Mart vs. Debbie Shank

Readers might recall CNN's recent story about Debbie Shank, who is being sued by Wal-Mart for nearly $470,000 in medical expenses. If not, here is a brief overview, followed by a link to a petition that's been created by friends and supporters of the Shank family:

Shank, 52, worked as a shelf stocker at Wal-Mart when, seven years ago, she suffered severe injuries to her brain from a car accident; Shank now uses a wheelchair and lives in a nursing home.

After Shank and her husband, Jim, were awarded about $750,000 in a lawsuit against the trucking company at fault in the accident, Wal-Mart demanded reimbursement for all the money it had paid for Debbie's medical bills - plus interest and legal fees. The Shank's didn't notice in the fine print of Wal-Mart's health plan policy that the company had the right to recoup medical expenses if an employee collects damages in a lawsuit.

Last week, a Republican judge ruled in favor of Wal-Mart, and the US Supreme Court refused to hear her case. According to The Huffington Post, "the ruling will completely clean out (and then some) the trust that was set aside for Debbie Shank's long-term care. "

If you would like to support the Shank family in their efforts to persuade Wal-Mart to reverse their decision, then consider signing this petition and forwarding a link to friends.

Further details here, here and here.