West Monroe Wal-Mart Investigation Part 1

A lot of people have a lot of questions about the accident involving Margie Davis’ death at West Monroe Wal-Mart 

Who responded? 

Is there a videotape of the incident? 

Who has it? 

And who's in charge of the investigation now?

We’ve been working to get you answers.

Here's what we do know: 

On Friday afternoon after the shelf fell, West Monroe Police went to the scene.  So did an ambulance crew and the West Monroe Fire Department.

West Monroe police say they didn't take a report or even log the incident, because, they say, the patient was alert and coherent.

But there's a complication:  because they didn't log the call, they're not even sure that was Margie Davis, or if there was possibly another accident either Friday or Saturday.

But another source who was on the scene says Margie Davis was definitely "not" awake and coherent, that she was just lying on the floor.

Davis’ family says she was brain dead shortly after reaching the hospital, and we know for sure that she died on Saturday.

Wal-Mart has video surveillance cameras all over its stores, but does it have a tape of the accident that killed Margie Davis?

Wal-Mart won't answer that question.

The Ouachita Parish Coroner's office is now in charge of the investigation. 

They tell NBC 10 they don't know at this point if a videotape exists, but they do plan to ask Wal-Mart for any tapes.

They also plan to interview witnesses and they expect a final autopsy report in the next few days.

It’s not unusual for a store like Wal-Mart to refuse to talk publicly about an accident like this.

Big box stores are sued every day for accidents, some real, some bogus.

We found several judgments in several states against Wal-Mart for people injured when merchandise or shelves fell on them.

In one case in Nevada, a wall of merchandise fell on an air force medic, causing head injuries.

Wal-Mart argued in court that 52-million people visit its stores every week, and that chances are one in 500-thousand that someone would be hurt by falling merchandise.

According to the website, wal-martlitigation.com, the jury still awarded that airman $4-million.

So we can guarantee there are a lot of personal injury lawyers eager to get their hands on the Margie Davis case if the family changes its mind and decides to sue.