Unsafe Practices at Walmart Construction Site
"Santos’s death is now the subject of a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court that seeks to hold Walmart Stores Inc. accountable for actions of contractors and subcontractors that build and renovate the retail giant’s stores. The plaintiffs, who seek $5 million in damages from Walmart and two subcontractors, allege the conditions that led to Santos’s electrocution are part of a pattern of unsafe practices at Walmart construction sites, including the hiring of unlicensed contractors and so-called straw men to obtain local permits.
In the Santos case, state inspection records show that one of Walmart’s subcontractors hired a licensed Massachusetts electrician solely to obtain permits, then used unlicensed electricians on the site. Additionally, the project’s general contractor, a company that worked almost exclusively for Walmart, was cited for using unlicensed contractors during a Walmart renovation in Louisiana, according to Louisiana inspection records."
