myopiclunacy.com

Good Job, Wal-Mart:

Wal-Mart Stores has agreed to provide 400 free bicycles, cash donations to charity and other free products to settle a dispute with a non-profit charity founded by Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans to help needy, inner-city children. According to Hillel Presser, a prominent Fort Lauderdale attorney who negotiated the settlement, problems arose after Johnson paid nearly $26,000 retail for hundreds of children’s bicycles to be given away during an annual Foundation sponsored event featuring food, music, and festivities for under-privileged children in Miami Gardens, Florida. The bicycle purchase was to include free ice and water for the children. Wal-Mart was unable to supply all the various sizes of bicycles ordered and a Wal-Mart employee then revoked the ice and water offer without notice, citing the smaller number of delivered bicycles, even though Wal-Mart was responsible for the shortage. Said attorney Presser: “This settlement is a win-win for the needy children, for my client, Andre Johnson, and for Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart values its reputation for supporting local charities and events and Andre is able to help more deserving children get bicycles.” In addition to the 400, free bicycles and cash, Wal-Mart will supply free ice, water, and food to the next event for 1500 children.

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Is it just me or does it seem that this family is killing off their children so they can file wrongful death suits? Read through to the last paragraph to see what I mean.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - The parents of a 17-year-old girl who died after she fell off her horse during an equestrian event two years ago have sued her former trainer, the sport’s governing body and others, claiming her death was caused in part by a dangerous course and a horse unfit to ride.

The suit filed May 6 in Riverside County Superior Court alleges negligence, emotional distress and seeks unspecified damages.

Mia Eriksson died in November 2006 after her 7-year-old horse, Koryography, landed on her after she fell at Galway Downs in Temecula.

Among the defendants named in the lawsuit are the United States Eventing Association, which oversees equestrian competition across the nation, and the sport’s governing body, the United States Equestrian Federation.

Phone messages left for both groups as well as the Erikssons’ attorney, Terrence Butler, were not immediately returned Sunday.

The lawsuit claims the course “was made more dangerous in order to make the competition more thrilling to spectators.” The suit also alleges equipment used on the course was defective; the standards of care to protect riders and horses were breached, and Koryography was unfit to ride because of prior falls and lack of practice.

“I stepped forward to file a lawsuit trying to voice in a way all of the concerns we’re feeling at the level of eventing to press for change,” Mia’s mother, Karan Eriksson, told The New York Times.

The teen’s former trainer, Kristi Nunnink, said that she had not seen the lawsuit but that Mia and her mother, who owns an equestrian facility near Lake Tahoe, knew the risks involved.

“Eventing is a dangerous sport,” Nunnink told the newspaper. “Everybody who goes into it realizes it is a dangerous sport.”

Mia’s older sister, Shana, died in 2003 after she was thrown from her horse at Fresno State University. The family also sued in the death of Shana, and Karan Eriksson told the newspaper the case was being appealed.

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Reminds me of that Arkansas family with the 17 (almost 18 now) kids that do all the chores and have apparently helped them expand their house to a whopping 7000 square feet.

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