Walmart Slapped With Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Two Employees Reportedly Died From COVID-19

Brittany M. Hughes | April 9, 2020
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Walmart is getting slapped with a wrongful death lawsuit after two employees who worked at the same store in Illinois reportedly died from COVID-19.

According to this, 51-year-old Wando Evans, a 15-year employee of a Walmart store in Evergreen Park, was sent home from work on March 23 after he began feeling ill. He was found dead in his home two days later on March 25. His family, who said they didn't even know Evans was having symptoms until after he'd already died, now claims that his fellow employees say Evans had told management he'd been feeling ill two weeks before his death.

Then, on March 29, a second employee of the same Walmart store reportedly died after contracting the coronavirus.

A relative of Evans’ has now filed a lawsuit against Walmart, alleging that the retailer was "negligent" in protecting their employees, who’ve been deemed “essential workers” during the outbreak, from the virus. The suit claims the retail giant didn’t enforce social distancing guidelines, didn’t properly clean and sanitize the store, and failed to provide personal protective equipment like facemasks, gloves and antibacterial soaps or wipes to their workers. The suit is also demanding an OSHA investigation into Walmart’s preparedness for the virus and how it manages employees who may have symptoms.  

In response, Walmart said they have already implemented a slew of measures trying to clean and sanitize their stores to protect their customers and employees, including deep cleaning the Evergreen Park store where both COVID-19 victims had worked.


(Cover Photo: MikeMozartJeepersMedia)

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