An odd case out of Florida has emerged where a woman claims that a Walgreens store employee forced her husband to clean its bathroom which subsequently led to his death from emotional distress.
According to a lawsuit filed by Florida widow Maria Elizarraras, her elderly husband died under suspicious circumstances. She alleges that her husband used the bathroom in an Orlando Walgreens store that he often frequented. On his way out of the store, he was allegedly stopped by store employees and ordered to clean the bathroom because he had left a mess.
The widow claims that her 69-year-old husband was forcibly detained, forced to clean and mop the bathroom for 20 minutes and was made fun of by store employees. The lawsuit alleges that the humiliation led to emotional distress that caused the man’s death.
WFTV9 reported this story in “Man dies of emotional distress after being forced to clean Walgreens bathroom widow says.”
There are several problems with this lawsuit.
Specifically it is not clear how exactly the incident caused the man’s death. In addition, the suit does not state how long after the incident the man passed away. Setting aside those legal hurdles, if the incident is true, it is a shocking case of elder abuse.
To force an elderly man to clean a store’s bathroom while mocking him is abuse. It is difficult to imagine he could have left a mess that required 20 minutes to clean, but even if it was a large mess, a pharmacy should be more aware about problems the elderly might face and be more understanding.
This specific incident might provoke snickers in some people, but it is a good reminder of how the elderly can be abused and that the abuse can lead to problems.
Reference: WFTV9 (Dec. 8, 2016) “Man dies of emotional distress after being forced to clean Walgreens bathroom widow says.”
