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Bargain hunting = Emergency room visit

May 12th, 2006 at 03:29 pm

Sigh. This week I took my mother along shopping to a discount chain store that shall remain nameless for the time being. She still drives, but doesn't roust herself to get out shopping very often. I thought I could kill two birds with one stone, picking up something I needed myself, and also getting her out. That's why I feel especially bad about this--part of my reason for the trip was to take care of my own business and save time. I keep thinking if I wasn't being so selfish, this might never have happened.

She was looking at canvas shoes. There was a style that fit her pretty well for $5.99. But it wasn't on sale, so she kept trying on the ones that were on sale for $5. Understand she has no need to save the 99 cents! While saying it was a waste of time and we ought to go home, she kept trying on pair after pair.

Suddenly she cried out in pain, removed the shoe she was trying, and there was a nail-like thing stuck in her foot! It turned out to be part of some kind of security device.

She pulled it right out, unceremoniously. I would have been freaking out, myself! I told her she ought to get a tetanus shot, if nothing else, and she decided if it required a doctor visit she better file some kind of report to the store.

Long story short, we ended up at the emergency room and neither of us got home or had dinner til after 7 p.m. She got her tetanus shot, plus a smear of Neosporin on a band-aid.

Hopefully Medicare and her supplemental insurance will cover it. The bill should be interesting in any case. Maybe I'll start a pool, and whoever guesses how much hospitals charge for emergency bandaids will win a prize. Wink

She also got a prescription for an antibiotic, which cost her over $60 after her Blue Cross discount.

I'm trying to see a lesson in this. It's one more reason to stop shopping at this particular chain, which I have grown to hate. Don't take my mother shopping? I could order things I know she needs from catalogs and bring her things from stores, even though she resists it. Keep your tetanus vaccine up to date, so it doesn't become an emergency? Look in shoes before you put them on? My mother should get Medicare Part D even though she doesn't see the point, because you never know when you'll need a prescription? Don't sweat spending an extra 99 cents if you can afford it?

BTW, she seems to be doing just fine.

9 Responses to “Bargain hunting = Emergency room visit”

  1. boomeyers Says:
    1147445131

    You poor thing. I can't imagine the guilt! Moms are going to do what they want to do (try on 100's of shoes) no matter what we say! Did you keep the shoes that hurt her and report it to someone??

  2. Thrifty Ray Says:
    1147445519

    IMO the store should be liable for the injury and all subsequent medical costs.

    I vote $5 for the band aid....

    As far as the lesson...Your mom is very lucky to have you for a daughter. You were able to take care of her and see that everything was taken care of...sounds like she is still able to get out and shop, so long as she has you (it certainly was no fault of hers that she got 'nailed'.) One day, she won't be there to shop with you...so enjoy her while you have her!

  3. fern Says:
    1147445722

    There's no reason not to mention the name of the store. Why protect them?

    Yes, pursue this with the store manager or as high up as you have to go to have them pay for your medical bills.

  4. annab Says:
    1147448671

    You should defintely give the store manager a call. I hope your mom feels better.

  5. Princessperky Says:
    1147469091

    I definatly think the store aught to pay for the script and the ER fee!

  6. poundwise Says:
    1147470365

    How ridiculous if there was or had been a security tag on $5 canvas shoes. You definitely should pursue this with the store.

    As for the band aid:

    Band aid = $1
    Person to apply it = $114

    Staying out emergency rooms - Priceless


  7. LuckyRobin Says:
    1147478366

    What on earth were they thinking putting a security device inside a shoe? No one buys shoes without trying them on, for goodness sake. The store should definitely pony up the money to pay for this. Some people might sue the store for something like this, so getting them to pay for it is the least they could do.

  8. StressLess Says:
    1147531840

    Thanks for the comments. The security thing wasn't supposed to be in the shoe. It was one of those two-part things they sometimes put on an expensive item, that has to be pried apart on a special device. What we think happened is, someone pulled it apart to shoplift something, and threw the nail-like piece toward the shoes. With all the tags and strings and things attached to the shoes, my mother just didn't see it before she put her foot in.

    We did stay in the store and filled out an official accident report with the manager. It's supposed to be forwarded to some higher-up, and DMom has asked to hear back from them.

    The reason I don't want to mention the store, is just in case she does decide to go after them legally later on. She is not the suing type, but if the emergency room visit isn't fully covered, she may want to ask for something. I don't want to jeopardize her chances.

  9. debtfreeme Says:
    1147721077

    did you fill out an incident report with your mom and the store? They should be picking up the tab for your little hospital adventure.

    my guess is: 956.76 for the total cost!

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