Ankle-Deep In Litigation

I am working in the garden center. It’s one of those REALLY hot days and I am cashiering outside. No big deal for me, as it’s a preferable option to be able to stroll through the rows of flowers instead of standing at the end of a register inside.

An older woman comes in to browse for a few. I don’t pay her too much notice until I find her sprawled out on the ground. Rushing over, I help get her a seat and some water and then call for a manager who also comes out and offers assistance.

Customer: “I just came from a very air-conditioned car and the change from that to the extreme heat must have caused me to faint.”

The manager offers to call an ambulance, but she refuses.

Customer: “I left my car running for my dog who’s still inside the car. I don’t want to leave him alone.”

After we have her sign a release stating that she is refusing help, she limps off to her car and drives away. I am asked to write up an incident report and I think that is the end of it.

Nope!

A month or so later, the same woman shows up at the garden center again, this time sporting a crutch and a leg cast.

Me: “Oh! What happened?”

Customer: “I finally decided to go to the doctor after I got home, and I found out that I had a broken ankle.”

I express genuine concern when hearing that. She then goes on to talk about how much it costs and how much it hurts… and then hits me with this zinger:

Customer: “I’m going to find out how much I can get from this store!”

Then, she limped her way in to find the customer service desk. Sure, lady. Lucky for us, there was a paper trail of her refusing treatment and cameras capturing her fall. She didn’t get a cent.