Law ammusement
Outrageous Lawsuits
Live well: Commit a crime!
Inmates at a county jail sued for cruel and unusual living conditions: bunk beds, cells lacking a sink and toilet, and no way to exercise in the winter.
These criminals were awarded $2 million dollars, paid by the taxpayers of Massachusetts.
Each inmate who was a party to the suit got $10 tax-free, for each day he was jailed. Their award included damages plus 12% interest from the time the case was settled until the time they collected their windfall. (Source: ATRA)
Grossed-out
A San Diego man filed a $5.4 million lawsuit in March against the city of San Diego for the "emotional trauma" he suffered at an Elton John-Billy Joel concert, held at a municipal stadium.
Bob Glaser said he was "extremely upset" at the sight of a woman in front of him using a urinal. In the suit, he claimed his rights to privacy were violated when he tried to use the restroom ''in front of women in the men's bathroom''. The women used the men's facilities because of long lines outside their restrooms. (Source: ATRA and SAALA)
Clap! Clap!
A New York appeals court rejected a woman's lawsuit against the company that makes the device called "The Clapper", which activates selected appliances on the sound of a clap.
She claimed she hurt her hands because she had to clap too hard in order to turn her appliances on: "I couldn't peel potatoes (when my hands hurt). I never ate so many baked potatoes in my life. I was in pain." However, the judge said she had merely failed to adjust the sensitivity controls. (Source: ATRA and SAALA)
IQ warning?
John Carter, a New Jersey man sued McDonald's for injuries he sustained in an auto accident with one of their customers.
He claimed that the customer who hit him did so after spilling the contents of his chocolate shake (which he purchased from McDonald's) onto his lap while reaching over for his fries.
He alleged that McDonald's sold their customer food knowing he would consume it while driving and without announcing or affixing a warning to the effect "don't eat and drive."
The court concluded that McDonald's had no duty to warn customers of obvious things which they should expect to know, but refused McDonald's request for attorney's fees stating that the plaintiff's attorney was "creative, imaginative and he shouldn't be penalized for that."
This case was in the court system for three years, underwent appellate court review and cost McDonald's over $10,000. (Source: ATRA and SAALA)
Source: www.duhaime.org.
