A lawsuit has been filed against Walmart in Illinois state court on behalf of an employee who died from COVID-19. The lawsuit alleges that Wando Evans, 51, informed managers at the Evergreen Park store that he was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but they ignored him.
According to the lawsuit, Wando Evans was employed by Walmart for 15 years. At the time of his death from COVID-19, he was working as an overnight stock and maintenance associate.
It is alleged Wando Evans informed store managers of his COVID-19 symptoms, but that they failed to address them and he was sent home. Two days after he was sent home, Wando Evans was found dead at home.
It is further alleged, that Walmart had knowledge that other employees showed signs of COVID-19 infection and that another Evergreen Park store employee died within days of Wando Evans.
The lawsuit claims that Walmart is liable for the death of Wando Evans because, among other things, it did not keep the store in a safe and healthy condition to protect employees from contracting COVID-19 by failing to follow guidelines or taking proper measures to keep the store clean, train employees for mitigation of the virus, enforce social distancing, notify employees when other employees showed signs of COVID-19 infection and failing to provide personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and antibacterial wipes. It also alleged that Walmart failed to properly screen workers for COVID-19 or bar workers from the store who showed signs of COVID-19 and failed to warn employees that other workers were symptomatic.