| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
Top 10 Frivolous Lawsuits
We’ve all heard the one about the woman who spilled scalding coffee and successfully sued McDonald’s. But we’ve also heard reports of burglars suing homeowners after injuring themselves during a robbery. And don’t forget the stories of Winnebago owners winning lawsuits after they left the driver’s seat because the vehicle’s cruise control was activated. Most of us laugh off these stories as urban legends made to show the absurdity of frivolous lawsuits. You might be surprised, however, by how many of these are true.
10. Stella Liebeck
In February 1992, Stella Liebeck ordered a cup of coffee to go from McDonalds. Liebeck was sitting in the passenger seat of her nephew’s car, which was pulled over so she could add sugar to her coffee. While removing the cup’s lid, Liebeck spilled her hot coffee, burning her legs. It was determined that Liebeck suffered third degree burns on over six percent of her body. Originally, Liebeck sought $20,000 in damages. McDonalds refused to settle out of court. However, they should have. Liebeck was ultimately awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages, which was reduced to $160,000 because she was found to be twenty percent at fault. She was also awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages. She was the inspiration for the Seinfeld episode where Kramer sued a coffee company for serving too hot coffee.
9. The Case of the Wrong Weather Forecast
We are all aware that the weather reports can be wrong and we always have that in mind when planning our days, but this was not the case for an Israeli woman who sued a TV station for making a false prediction. The station predicted good weather but unfortunately it ended up raining. The woman claimed that the forecast caused her to dress lightly – resulting in her getting the flu, missing work for a week and spending money on medication. She further claimed that the whole incident caused her stress. She sued for $1,000 – and won.
8. Karen Norman
In 1992, 23-year old Karen Norman accidentally backed her car into GalvestonBay after a night of drinking. Norman couldn’t operate her seat belt and drowned. Her passenger managed to disengage herself and make it to shore. Norman’s parents sued Honda for making a seat belt their drunken daughter (her blood alcohol level was .17 – nearly twice the legal limit) couldn’t open underwater. A jury found Honda seventy-five percent responsible for Karen’s death and awarded the Norman family $65 million. An appeals court threw out the case.
7. Austin Aitken
Austin Aitken was a contestant on NBC’s show Fear Factor. Everything was going well until the show invited contestants to eat blended rats, including Aitkin himself. Aitken believed that the show producers went too far. In his 2005 lawsuit against NBC, Aitken wrote that seeing the minced rat pieces made him vomit. When watching the show at home, he also claimed to have run into a doorway due to his disorientation, which caused him “suffering, injury and great pain.” Aitken’s lawsuit was thrown out, but he did “win” one thing: Fear Factor contestants have not eaten a rat smoothie ever since. Both learned their lessons, I guess.
6. Larry Harris
In 1997, Larry Harris of Illinois broke into a bar owned by Jessie Ingram. Ingram, the victim of several break-ins, had recently set a trap around his windows to deter potential burglars. Harris, 37, who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs, must have missed the warning sign prominently displayed in the window. He set off the trap as he entered the window, electrocuting himself. The police refused to file murder charges. Harris’s family saw it differently, however, and filed a civil suit against Ingram. A jury originally awarded the Harris family $150,000. Later, the award was reduced to $75,000 when it was decided Harris should share at least half of the blame.
Related Posts
