These kinds of stories absolutely annoy the crap out of me. At first I was compelled to think that indeed, the insurance company and Wal-Mart should be reimbursed if this couple was being compensated twice, but then it occurred to me that insurance is a paid service and it shouldn't matter. If you pay for insurance, you're paying for a guarantee that you'll get compensated. There is no such automatic compensation from the courts.
The saddest thing is that a half-million doesn't mean shit to Wal-Mart of the insurance company.
I'm with you on the "being compensated twice" idea. I don't think they should be. However, I think there needs to be care provided to the lady that was hit by the truck because this wasn't her fault. The problem there is that once the settlement was made it was pretty much done for and there's nothing else they could do to get compensation from the trucking company should any other needs arise.
My mom made the same mistake back in 92 when a semi jack-kniffed into the back of her van. She settled back then for $5,000 for health compensation because she walked away from it with some neck and back strain. Here we are 15 years later and those same discs in her neck and back that were strained are now herniated or disintegrated. She can't work now because she can't sit or stand for long periods of time. She hasn't gotten disability or anything else. They are just stuck with one income because there's really nothing else they can do.
Does this make Wal Mart evil? I can't say it does. On principal they do have a case. I just wish this was something that they could make an exception to. Even if it wasn't their fault that the lady in the story is brain damaged, you're right $500k isn't much to them.