Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Top Ten Unveleivable Lawsuits

Studies have shown that the US spends over $200B in civil lawsuits every year. It comes as no surprise that personal injury lawyers are having their field day and that law schools in the US are packed with eager entrants who want to join the bandwagon. Our list of top 10 most bizarre or frivolous lawsuits is a strong proof that we are going to see more of these fantastic court battles for many years to come.

1. McDonald’s vs Common Sense
In 1992, Stella Liebeck sued McDonald’s for gross negligence for serving coffee that was too hot. Amazingly, the court concurred with Liebeck and ordered McDonald’s to pay Liebeck $160,000 for compensatory damages and $2.7 M for punitive damages.


2. Woman vs Act of God
We are all aware that weather forecasts are not precise. However, this seemed to be not acceptable for an Israeli. The woman sued a TV station for erroneously predicting a fair weather during a day when there was a heavy downpour. She sued the TV station for damages and was awarded by the court $1,000.


3. Anheuser-Busch vs Man
Previously, there was this popular ad released by Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser beer, where two women suddenly materialize in front of two astonished truck drivers. A man from Michigan sued the company for deception through false advertising. He claimed that no women appeared after he bought and drank a case of Budweiser beer. Luckily, the court ruled in favor of Anheuser-Busch.


4. PETA vs Division of Wildlife and Fish
PETA, the organization of animal welfare advocates, held a protest in 2001 to defend the deer’s right to live. After their anti-hunt rally, two members of the group accidentally run over a deer along the highway while driving back home. The group filed a complaint claiming that the program on deer management by the Division of Wildlife and Fish of New Jersey was faulty.


5. Traffic Cop vs Underwear
A 52 year old LA traffic officer filed a damage complaint against Victoria’s Secret. The damage complaint arose from the injury on his eye when it was hit by a metal clip that got dislodged while he was trying to wear a new tight-fitting thong.


6. Medera City vs Tasers
A California police officer named Marcy Noriega decided to use the taser on a suspect who became violent and uncontrollable while inside a police car. Unfortunately, because of the commotion, Noriega mistakenly drew his gun instead of the taser and fatally shot the suspect in the chest. The maker of the taser was sued by the Madera City claiming that any police officer will mistakenly draw their gun instead of the taser.


7. Holy Roller vs Magicians
This is one of the most amazing cases among our list of odd lawsuits. A Minnesota resident has sued David Copperfield and David Blaine. Christopher Roller is demanding full disclosure from the two famous magicians of all the secrets and tricks behind their magical acts and performances. Roller is also demanding that he be awarded 10% of the total income of both magicians. Roller claims that he is god and that both Blaine and Copperfield are stealing his godly powers!


8. New Yorker vs Subway
A New York resident has sued the Subway for finding a 7-inch knife inside a sandwich that he was eating. He was not injured nor did he swallow the knife. He claimed that the event has brought untold stress to him and had “serious” stomach issues. He filed for a $1,000,000 damage claim.


9. Dukes Family vs Killer Whales
Daniel Dukes had wanted to live out his dream of swimming with a killer whale. He successfully sneaked into Sea World after closing time and dove into the tank. He died while fulfilling his dream. His family eventually sued Sea World for gross negligence claiming that the park failed to provide public warnings informing people that the killer whale can kill.


10. Man vs Himself
This one beats them all. Robert Lee Brock, an inmate in Virginia had wanted to be transferred to a mental institution. To achieve his goal, he decided to file a complaint against himself. He claims that he committed the crime while he was drunk which is contrary to his faith. He then sued himself for an astounding $5 M. He even had the gall to make specific claims against the state for the simple reason that he was denied of his opportunity to earn a decent living because of his incarceration


Source: www.top-10-list.org

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