An Alabama woman accused Walmart of threatening to sue her if she didn't pay them $200 as a settlement following a 2016 incident that left her feeling upset.
According to reports, Lesleigh Nurse received $2.1 million in damages five years after Walmart accused her of shoplifting and stealing the grocery items that she paid for.
In her lawsuit, Nurse detailed how she used the self-checkout option at a Walmart close to her home in Semmes. However, the machine froze, so the staff at the grocery store urged her to pay. When she explained to the staff what had happened, they refused to believe her. What's worse, Nurse said that Walmart had her arrested.
Her case was dismissed a year later, but a law firm contacted her and asked her to pay $200. Nurse once again refused because $200 is much bigger than the amount of groceries that she purchased, according to USA Today.
The Alabama resident is convinced that Walmart was the one that instructed the law firm to reach out to her. And when she refused to pay, they threatened her.
"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," the lawsuit stated via NBC News.
Walmart accused of profiting off their customers
Reports revealed that Walmart and other retailers routinely use settlement schemes in states where it is allowed. Walmart, in particular, made millions of dollars in the last two years from settlement fees.
But Walmart's attorneys insisted that the practice is legal in Alabama and that the company did not do anything wrong.
The attorney also said they would file a motion because they believe that the damages awarded far exceeded what is allowed by law.
Alabama woman considered paying Walmart
During an interview, Nurse said that she initially thought of paying for her groceries that amounted to $48. However, she also contemplated and figured that she did not do anything wrong.
Nurse was then directed into a small room where she was interrogated. She thought that the matter would be resolved following that conversation, but it didn't.
The Alabama resident's attorney charged Walmart with abuse of process, which means that the company prosecuted his client for the sole purpose of getting what they call civil recovery or money.
Walmart refused to submit a video in court
According to CBS 42, Walmart never submitted a video in court to prove that Nurse stole groceries from them. Later, Nurse's grocery bag only contained 11 items, including a loaf of bread, a Cap'n Crunch cereal, and Christmas lights.
In their statement, the company continued to stand by the staff's decision to accuse Nurse of shoplifting and stealing. Walmart also said that it is their job to appropriately handle instances of theft, which is a problem for all retailers and the U.S. economy.
As for Nurse, she said she hopes a similar incident won't happen to other people in her state and elsewhere.
