Wal-Mart has decided to drop its claim against Debbie Shank. I blogged about her situation last week.

Ms. Shank was injured in an accident a few years ago that left her with brain damage. She is now confined to a wheel chair and lives in a nursing home.

She was an employee of Wal-Mart. She had their health insurance.

Ms. Shank and her husband sued the trucking company responsible for the accident, and they won about a million dollars. After legal fees, she ended up with about $417,000. It was placed in a trust for her long-term care.

Wal-Mart paid about $470,000 for her healthcare after the accident. Since she won the suit against the trucking company, Wal-Mart sued Ms. Shank for the $470,000. Wal-Mart won. Wal-Mart also won the appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. So, according to the courts, Wal-Mart is legally justified to recoup their money.

During this mess, Mr. Shank even divorced Debbie so her Medicaid payments would be a little higher as a single person.

About a week after the Shank family lost their appeal, they were notified that their 18- year-old son was killed in Iraq.

Thankfully, the Court of Public Opinion changed Wal-Mart’s attitude, and quickly. This is a good thing.

Mr. Shank said in a statement, “My thanks go first and foremost to my lord and savior Jesus Christ for the strength to bear up under all this. Thanks also to the citizens of the United States – it wasn’t me who made this happen, it was the outcry of the people, and if there’s a lesson in this story it’s that ‘we the people’ still means something.”

Yes, “we the people” still does mean something – even to Wal-Mart.