Woman sues La. Wal-Mart over "Norman the nutria"
Published 9:17 am Thursday, May 7, 2009
NEW ORLEANS — Wal-Mart has been sued a lot over the years. Now a Louisiana woman is seeking damages because she claims a Wal-Mart store let a large rodent run loose.
The animal was a nutria, a beaver-like creature. Rebecca White says employees at a Wal-Mart in Abbeville not only knew it was in their store but gave it a pet name, Norman, and failed to warn shoppers.
White’s lawsuit says she was pushing a full shopping cart down an aisle when the nutria ran out from behind a rack. She says she pulled the cart toward her in a panicked attempt at protection and injured her back and foot.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation’s largest retailer, has been a frequent target of lawsuits. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company said it has not seen the nutria lawsuit but is investigating.
