Tim Gilmore's Commentary
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of 2011 Announced!
Tim Gilmore | December 29, 2011 - 5:27pm
The U.S. has been the undisputed lawsuit capital of the world for some time. And while the courts play a central role in resolving disputes and maintaining a civil society, that function isn’t easy when they are packed with frivolous suits.
Ridiculous lawsuits clog up our legal system’s dwindling resources, taking time away from legitimate grievances to devote to the vindictive, the hypocritical, the irresponsible, and the outright absurd.
With that in mind, FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org has compiled some of the most egregious examples of frivolous and abusive litigation from around the country and asked you to tell us which ones were the most ridiculous. These suits range from the comical and absurd to the disturbing, but they all underscore a real problem – lawsuits hurt businesses, families, and everyday Americans through lost time, money and job growth.
So which lawsuits are the doozies this past year? First, here's the lawsuit that you thought was the most ridiculous:
- Convict sues couple he kidnapped for not helping him evade police. A man who kidnapped a couple at knifepoint while he was running from the police is now suing the victims, claiming that they promised to hide him in exchange for an unspecified amount of money. The plaintiff, currently in jail, is seeking $235,000 for the alleged “breach of contract.”
And here’s the rest of the top ten as determined by you who voted at FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org:
- Man suing for age discrimination says judge in his case is too old. A 60-year-old musician who is suing for age discrimination wants the judge removed from the case – because he’s too old. Ironically, the plaintiff says his fight against age-based discrimination is too important to leave in the hands of the 88-year-old judge.
- Young adults sue mother for sending cards without gifts and playing favorites. The plaintiffs, now 20 and 23, claimed the mother “sometimes didn’t include gifts in cards sent to her children; played favorites with her children . . . did not send care packages until his sixth semester away at college . . . changed her surname, thus ‘causing attention’ at her daughter’s school events; and refused to buy her a homecoming dress.”
- Obese man sues burger joint over tight squeeze in booths. A nearly-300 pound man is suing White Castle restaurants, saying that their booths are too tight to accommodate someone of his size. In fact, he’s so distraught by the booths that he hasn’t been to White Castle in months (instead, he sends his wife to pick up his burgers so he can eat them at home).
- Woman sues over movie trailer; says not enough driving in ‘Drive’. A Michigan woman who claims she was misled by the trailers for the movie ‘Drive’ is suing the distributors of the film. She says she was disappointed by the lack of driving in the film and was expecting something more similar to the ‘Fast and Furious’ films.
- Mom files suit against exclusive preschool over child’s college prospects. A New Yorker is suing a private preschool, saying the school’s curriculum has seriously hurt her 4-year-old’s chances of getting into an Ivy League college.
- Man sues bar for not disarming him before he started drinking (and fighting). A Pennsylvania man illegally brought a gun into a bar, then got injured in a drunken shootout with another patron, and now has sued the bar for not searching him for a weapon on his way in.
- Passenger’s lawsuit says cruise ship was too fast. An Indiana woman is suing Carnival Cruise Line, claiming she got sick because the boat was going too fast and was swaying from side to side.
- Woman disagrees with store over 80¢ refund, sues for $5m. A New York woman decided to make a $5 million federal case out of a disagreement over 80¢. Her suit says she used a $5-off coupon when she purchased a bevy of items for over $100. When she returned one of the items, the store pro-rated the refund to account for the discount.
- Mother sues Chuck E. Cheese – says games encourage gambling in children. A California woman has filed a lawsuit against Chuck E. Cheese on the grounds that their games are actually an illegal form of gambling and could get kids hooked. She is seeking at least $5 million; the restaurant says the games are legal and has asked a judge to dismiss the suit.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. And while we can't predict everything 2012 has in store, it's a good bet there'll be more ridiculous lawsuits. So remember to visit FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org monthly to vote for your favorite ridiculous lawsuits.
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month -- The 'Class(room) Action' Edition
Tim Gilmore | April 27, 2011 - 4:12pm
So many things go into getting into a good college – the long nights studying for exams, the hours of SAT prep courses, the finger-painting. . .
Finger-painting? To get into college? Most reasonable people would argue that preschools don’t have much impact on someone’s college prospects, but try telling that to the New York mother who is suing her daughter’s preschool for hurting the child’s chances of eventually getting into an elite Ivy League university.
The mother claims that the prestigious school wasted her 4-year-old’s time by making her spend some of her day in a classroom with younger children, so she’s trying to start a class action against the school seeking a refund on the annual tuition of $19,000 (yikes!). She might have trouble finding prospective class members willing to sign on to her lawsuit – other parents at the school have “had nothing but good experiences,” according to the New York Daily News article.
Is this the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month? Or is it one of these instead:
- Good Samaritan killed trying to stop thief; estate sues store he was robbing
- Ref sues writer over Tweet about “make-up calls”
- Woman claims shoes stick together; sues Adidas after fall
- Lawsuit says cruise ship went too fast
Vote at FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org!
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month -- The "Deep Pockets" Edition
Tim Gilmore | April 19, 2011 - 3:26pm
Last year we brought you two cases of criminals who sued their victims. As part of this month’s Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Poll, we bring you a related case – the victim of a crime who is suing another victim.
In 2008, a teenager grabbed a tip jar from the counter of a Starbucks and took off running. One of the customers, Roger Kreutz, chased the kid out into the parking lot and caught up to him as he was getting into a car. The two scuffled a bit until the teen was able to get into his car drive off, but as he did so his car knocked Kreutz over, who hit his head on the pavement and died two days later. The thief pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to a year in jail.
One life lost, another ruined over a tip jar containing less than $5. But out of this tragic story comes a redeeming twist. Kreutz’s family has forgiven the teen, and even invited him to participate in a memorial service where they all planted a tree in Kreutz’s honor. The family members say they knew the teen meant no harm.
However, the family’s compassion doesn’t extend further to the store the teen was robbing – they are taking Starbucks to court on the grounds that the tip jar “invited the act” of the crime, and that Starbucks was negligent in not employing a security guard. The teen was not named in the suit.
It’s easy to empathize with this family as they mourn a loved one. But that isn’t an excuse to haul Starbucks into court on a genuinely absurd claim that the coffee store is guilty of “tempting” some kid into stealing tips from the baristas. Should victims be held accountable for the criminal actions of the perpetrators? If this suit is successful, where does it end?
Is this the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month? Or is it one of these instead:
- Woman claims shoes stick together; sues Adidas after fall
- Lawsuit says cruise ship went too fast
- Mom files suit against exclusive preschool over child’s college prospects
- Ref sues writer over Tweet about “make-up calls”
Vote at FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org!
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month -- The 'Call of the Sea' Edition
Tim Gilmore | April 14, 2011 - 2:49pm
There’s no doubt about it – the cruise industry is booming. Last year, almost 9.6 million passengers took to the sea on any of 4,200 cruises, visiting the Arctic, the South Pacific, and hundreds of ports in between. But a life before the mast is not for everybody. Case in point – a woman from Indiana is taking Carnival Cruise Lines to court following an unpleasant experience. What happened? Attacked by a whale? Marooned on an island? Kidnapped by a rogue submarine captain? Bad shrimp cocktail?
Actually none of the above. She says the boat was going too fast and swaying, which made her very sick.
Hold on – she saying the ship’s swaying was caused by excessive speed? Anybody that has stood on a boat while it’s tied up can tell you that not moving causes more rolling, and the faster she goes the less she pitches. But why let the facts get in the way.
The plaintiff doesn’t bother to name the specific ship she was on, but they usually putter around at about 15 knots (17 mph) with maximum of 25 knots (29 mph) – hardly ramming speed. No other passengers have complained, either.
Carnival responded that the suit was filed after the statute of limitations had already expired, and the woman is filing her suit in an improper venue. A court in Indiana ruled that the suit can proceed, but must do so in Florida instead of Indiana. Hope you have a pleasant (500 mph) flight to Miami!
Is this the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month? Or is it one of these instead:
- Woman claims shoes stick together; sues Adidas after fall
- Good Samaritan killed trying to stop thief; estate sues store he was robbing
- Mom files suit against exclusive preschool over child’s college prospects
- Ref sues writer over Tweet about “make-up calls”
Vote at FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org!
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month -- The 'Don't Tweet On Me' Edition
Tim Gilmore | April 8, 2011 - 1:07pm
Some NBA fans have long held that there is a double standard in officiating, and that there is one set of rules for stars and one set for the rest (Jazz fans still say that Michael pushed-off in the ’98 Finals). These conspiracy theorists were only emboldened with the revelation that ex- ref Tim Donaghy worked to fix games. Now an official’s pushback against an accusation of impropriety is landing in the courtroom.
Here’s the story: an Associated Press writer took to Twitter (where else?) about a heated exchange he overheard between Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis and game referee Bill Spooner. “Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he'd 'get it back' after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on Rockets. That's NBA officiating folks.”
Spooner says that never happened and is suing the writer, Jon Krawczynski, calling his tweet an unfounded allegation of game-fixing. The AP, for its part, is standing behind the writer and the veracity of said tweet.
This isn’t the first Twitter lawsuit we’ve seen – as with any developing technology, the lawsuits are never far behind.
Is this the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month? Or is it one of these:
- Good Samaritan killed trying to stop thief ; estate sues store he was robbing
- Mom files suit against exclusive preschool over child’s college prospects
- Woman claims shoes stick together; sues Adidas after fall
- Lawsuit says cruise ship went too fast
Go to FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org to cast your vote!
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month -- The "Lottery Lawsuit" Edition
Tim Gilmore | March 9, 2011 - 11:00pm
Who hasn’t been taken in at one point or another by a billboard promising millions and millions of dollars waiting to be won in the lotto? We’ve probably all had that fantasy of watching the local news host read out the winning lotto numbers with a ticket in our sweaty palm. Is that the last number? Did I just win the lottery!?
Ah, the pure joy of it all, as shock turns quickly to our “I’m Rich!” shopping list . . . a new Lexus right away. A trip to Tahiti for me and 200 of my closest friends. Maybe after that a new house. Nothing fancy, just a little something with ten bedrooms and some acreage.
I imagine this sort of scenario happened to a New Jersey woman, who was not fantasizing when she saw her lotto numbers flash across the TV one night a few months ago.. Unfortunately for her, the station had aired the wrong winning numbers that evening – the woman had, in fact, won nothing.
That must have been a pretty sobering crash back to reality. The Lexus? Parked. The Tahiti trip? Cancelled. The maid and the butler? Fired.
But not wanting a near-fantasy to escape her grasp, she had a new idea– go to court! She’s suing the TV station and its parent companies for $75,000, saying the station’s mistake was “atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community” and that she was “severely damaged” by the ordeal.
Win the lottery and you cash in; lose the lottery and you can still cash in?
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month? Or is it one of these:
– Man accused of arson sues insurance company over their investigation
– Sushi restaurant doesn’t let customer pick apart rolls; he sues for discrimination
– Woman wants millions over disagreement about 80 cents
– Lawyer suing second nail salon for charging men more than women
Visit FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org to vote.
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month -- The "Snow More Sledding" Edition
Tim Gilmore | February 8, 2011 - 10:46pm
Most of the country is still digging out from the massive snowstorms this winter that have closed schools, redirected flights, and turned some simple commutes into truly horrific ordeals (it must be bad when even Chicago is having a rough time). It might be a headache, but who can forget the simple joy of waking up to a blanket of snow, huddling around the radio (or TV or internet) waiting for the announcement that school has been cancelled, then running outside for a day of skating, sledding, and snowball fights?
Unfortunately those days could be numbered for some as liability fears are forcing more and more once-cherished winter outdoor activities to cease.
Case in point: Brian Donohue at the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger went on a search for the best sledding spots in the Garden State only to find snow-covered hills – once swarming with laughing, playing, active children – that are now empty.
Why? Lawsuits. One township has banned sledding at a park after a sledder hit a fence post, then sued for $1 million (eventually settling for $25,000); another county had to close its golf courses to winter sports.
No sledding, removed swing sets, what’s next? I guess it will be better to park the kids in front of the TV or X-Box. Nobody ever sued over a video game, right? Then again maybe not, judging from the recent Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month nominee who sued a software manufacturer after he got addicted to one of their games.
How absurd is this? Bad enough to be named The Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month? Or is one of these more deserving?
– American Idol sued for third time by former contestant
– Collegian wants $1.8 million from prostitute for leaving early
– Congressman sues cafeteria over olive pit in sandwich
– DEA agent that accidently shot himself sues agency after video mocked on TV
Visit FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org to cast your vote!
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Month Poll -- The "Wild Card Weekend" Edition
Tim Gilmore | January 12, 2011 - 8:08pm
This past weekend brought us one of the most unexpected football victories in recent playoff memory as the Seattle Seahawks knocked off the defending champs, as well as a thrilling last second victory by the New York Jets. Granted, the Jets and Seahawks are still long shots to make it to the Super Bowl, and that might be a good thing considering what happened the last time the teams squared off.
Flashback to 2008: the New York Jets had just lost their season finale to the Seahawks in snowy Seattle. As the Jets players were walking off the field, the Seahawks fans met them with a barrage of snowballs (nobody was injured; luckily the game wasn’t in Philadelphia). Jets player Shaun Ellis was in no mood for that, so he grabbed a chunk of snow and tossed it in the crowd. An innocent snowball fight – no harm, no foul, right?
Not according to Seattle fan Robert Larson. Larson is now suing Ellis, after realizing (two years after the fact) that he “suffered physical injury, humiliation, mental distress, pain and wage loss from the incident.” Larson is also claiming he was targeted by Ellis because he was waving a pro-Seahawks sign.
Ah, but check out the video embedded in the article. Keep an eye on the only fan with a sign (Larson, presumably). He absorbs the snowball thrown by Ellis like an all-pro, and then starts celebrating with it like he won the Heisman. He looks very humiliated indeed!
So is this the most ridiculous lawsuit of the month? Or is one of these more deserving of the title?
–Man illegally brings gun into bar, gets injured in a fight, then sues bar for not searching him for a weapon
–Mother sues McDonald’s claiming Happy Meals’ toys act as 'bait' to get children to eat unhealthy food
–Woman sues restaurant over toilet paper dispenser which allegedly broke her hand
–Teenage boy accused of brutally beating girl sues over education he's receiving in jail
Cast your vote at FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org.
Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Poll -- The "Dangers of (non-political) Flip-Flopping" Edition
Tim Gilmore | November 2, 2010 - 3:47pm
1977 was the Summer of Sam, 2001 was dubbed the Summer of the Shark, 2008 was the Summer of . . . the Sandal?
Sounds about right.
A West Virginia woman who broke her ankle while wearing a pair of flip-flops is suing the manufacturer, claiming the footwear was defective and the manufacturer did not properly warn her of the hazards of wearing the flip-flops.
So remember, if you’re one of the fortunate few 99.999999% of flip-flop wearers that weren’t injured by your footwear (despite the stunning lack of forewarning by the makers), count your lucky stars. And watch out for sharks.
So is this the most ridiculous lawsuit of the month? Or is one of these other lawsuits even more worthy?
– Inmate who killed and dismembered victim sues over pulled tooth, claiming "cruel and unusual punishment"
– Child-molesting teacher countersues boy's parents over negligent supervision
– Kardashian sisters sued because their shows caused man "extreme emotional distress"
– Male lawyer sues nail salon for $200,000 for charging men $2 more than women
Visit FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org to cast your vote!
October Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Poll -- The 'Price of Beauty' Edition
Tim Gilmore | October 29, 2010 - 12:34pm
Neanderthal Man gave way to Cro-Magnon Man, who gave way to Modern Man, who gave way to The Metrosexual Man – the species of man that routinely gets his hair styled, spends more time shopping than ever before, and is no stranger to the G-T-L.
But nobody ever said such progress would be easy – indeed, it can often be traumatic. Case in point, a Maryland lawyer is taking a nail salon to court, calling their policy of charging males $2 more than they charge females discriminatory. He was too distressed by this to even enjoy his evening, so now he wants $200,000 for such an outrage.
And lest you think the plaintiff is only looking out for himself, he wants to go to bat for all the other guys that share his pain and have this case certified as a class action. Who’s in? Show of hands (neatly buffed and polished hands, of course)!
So is this the most ridiculous lawsuit of the month? Or is one of these better:
- Lawyer sues flip flop maker for failure to warn of dangers of flip flops
- Inmate who killed and dismembered victim sues over pulled tooth, claiming "cruel and unusual punishment"
- Child-molesting teacher countersues boy's parents over negligent supervision
- Kardashian sisters sued because their shows caused man "extreme emotional distress"
Visit FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org to cast your vote!
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