*Disclaimer* the post is not intended to slam Walmart in any way
In this article, a man who went to Walmart to buy an XBOX is tackled for failing to show his receipt an employee. Is he able to sue Walmart for the injuries that he suffered, and embarrassment of being called a thief? Is it legal for them to ask to show your receipt?
We don't know what state this incident took, however state laws are generally in agreement over this matter. A store can detain you whenever they want while your in their store, the question is whether they have a defense this imprisonment. In my home state of Washington the law is RCW 4.24.220, and it states that a store's employees may detain a person if they have grounds to suspect them of shoplifting. However some stores have policies in place that forbid the employees doing anything to stop shoplifters. They do this to protect themselves from lawsuits, as its cheaper to loose a couple of hundred dollars of stuff, then to be sued. For example, a man died of a heart attack in a Walmart after being tackled by loss prevention officers and a customer. If his family sues, the first hour of the lawyers time will cost more then the $300 worth of stuff he was trying to steal
But what about stores like Cosco and Sams Club? To be able to purchase stuff at those stores you have to have a membership, and when you sign that contract, it says that you agree to have your receipt checked as you leave the store. A regular store can only make you show a receipt when you leave if they have a suspicion that you've shoplifted something. They can't make you show the receipt if you don't want to.
Now that we know that Walmart had no business checking this guys receipt, can he sue them for his injuries from being tackled? He could sue, however its unlikely that he would be able get anything, as he was tackled by customers of the stores, not the employees of the store.
