Mr. Ed
Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
- Location
- Central NY
Man Sues Train Co. for Botched Suicide, 1977 – Payout: $650,000
It’s an oldy, but a goody – and proof that a warped justice system isn’t all that new.Milo Stephens attempted to commit suicide by jumping in front of a New York City Train. He was unsuccessful because the train driver noticed him and tried to stop. Unfortunately, he was unable to stop in time, and the train ran over Stephens who was permanently injured. He later sued the NYC Transit Authority for his injuries. The TA settled the case out of court and Stephens was awarded $650,000 in damages. He might have won as much as $3.5 million, but because he was found 75 percent at fault for the accident, his payout was much lower than what he was initially asking.
McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit, 1992 – Payout: $2,900,000
Stella Liebeck made national headlines when she sued fast food giant McDonald’s for serving coffee that was “too hot.” Liebeck sustained third-degree burns when she spilled her cup of coffee in her lap at a McDonald’s drive-through. She claimed that McDonald’s made their coffee too hot and did not provide adequate warning to customers about the temperature of the coffee (around 180 degrees Fahrenheit). Although the jury found Liebeck 20 percent at fault for the accident, she still won nearly 3 million dollars, and all McDonald’s hot drinks now include the label, “Caution, Handle With Care, I’m Hot.”Man Sues Himself, 1996 – Payout: $300,000
Larry Rutman got hit in the head by his boomerang after he threw it. He claimed the accident affected both his memory and his sex drive. He was going to sue the boomerang company for damages until his lawyer recommended against it. So, Rutman sued HIMSELF – specifically his negligence – for causing him bodily harm. And, since Rutman had insurance, it was his insurance company that was required to cough up the money.
Trespassers Win Millions, 2006 – Payout: $24,200,000
Teenagers Brett Birdwell and Jeffrey Kline were out skateboarding when they decided to trespass onto Amtrak property in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Once inside, they then decided it would be a very good idea to climb onto a boxcar to see the city. Both boys were severely burned after they were electrocuted by an uninsulated wire above the train. Amtrak was ordered to pay damages for failing to post adequate warning signs about the electrical wires. Each boy received a nice sum of $12,100,000.
Girl Sues Estranged Parents for Tuition Fees, 2014 – Payout: $16,000 a year
Although she hadn’t spoken to her divorced parents in two-year, Caitlyn Ricci sued them to get them to pay for her college tuition. Her parents refused to say that, since she no longer lived at home or followed their rules, they weren’t obligated to support her or contribute to her education. Due to a New Jersey law that applies specifically to divorced parents, the judge ruled that Ricci’s parents must pay for her college tuition, to the tune of $16,000 a year. Ricci may have come out on top in court, but her parents have yet to pay up.
Bonus Lawsuit, In Progress:
Woman Sues Starbucks over Too Much Ice, 2016 – Possible Payout: $5,000,000+/-
In May 2016, Stacy Pincus filed a $5 million dollar lawsuit against coffee powerhouse Starbucks for putting too much ice in their iced beverages. Her suit claims that while drink prices are based on cup size (12oz Tall, 16oz Grande, and 24oz Venti), the drinks only fill the cups because there is so much ice added to the beverage. A Venti iced latte – one of Starbuck’s basic drinks – sells for around $4.60 (price varies by location). Although you pay for a 24oz drink, once you take the ice out, there’s only around 14 ounces of actual latte in the cup. Conversely, if you ordered a hot Venti latte, you would still pay $4.60, but you’d get a 24oz latte.Starbucks has dismissed this case as frivolous, but if it goes to trial and the plaintiff wins, the coffee magnate could be forced to pay over $5,000,000 in “damages.”
Inmate Lawsuits / Prison Lawsuits
Inmate Sues State for His Flatulence/Gas
Unfortunately, silly lawsuits are overwhelming many state and federal courts. Consider Case No. 9650302 in Michigan where the prisoner sued the State of Michigan stating that the food in prison was causing his flatulence problem.Technology Lawsuits
Man Sues Microsoft Over Undeleted Files
A man sued Microsft claiming that Internet Explorer(IE) failed to delete his history of bomb building sites he visited. He claims that he set is software to delete his browsing history after five (5) days, but it failed to do so. Plus any day beyond is supposed to be permanently deleted, and not recoverable. While some of the claim might be legitimate, the plaintiff was assured by Circuit City, whom he purchased the computer from in 2004, that the installed Internet Explorer, Windows XP, and other security programs would keep his information safe and secure from prying eyes.So what was his complaint? Based on tips that he had bomb making materials at his home, the FBI raided this guy's home and found incriminating files older than 5 days old on his computer and arrested him on the spot.
Dumb Criminal Lawsuits
Thief rewarded for injury
A young man of 19 located in Los Angeles, CA was awarded $74,000 (plus medical expenses!) when his neighbor accidentally ran over his hand with his car. The young man was unaware that there was someone behind the wheel of the car…while he was trying to steal the hubcap’s off his neighbor's car!Family Lawsuits
Woman Sues Store for Fall
A woman in Austin, TX was awarded $80,000 after she broke her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store she was shopping in. The store owners were very surprised by the verdict because the toddler running in the store was the woman’s son.Lawsuit Abuse
Car dealership sued for nothing….and loses
AutoNation, one of the nation’s largest auto retailers, and is headquartered in Florida, The company has 66 car dealership operations in Florida with over 7,000 employees statewide.In this video you will see AutoNation’s General Counsel, Jon Ferrando, explain how AutoNation was faced with a frivolous lawsuit - a situation where no one was harmed but it still cost the company more than $1.5 million in legal fees! Including a $1 million payout to the plaintiff’s lawyers to settle the case. And we wonder why costs are going up!
Celebrity Lawsuits
Man sues Michael Jordan
One of our esteemed fellow American sued Michael Jordan because, are you ready for it…he claims that Michael Jordan looks like him and this causes people everywhere to approach him.He sued not only Michael Jordan, but also the founder of Nike, Phil Knight, for $832 million dollars! That will buy a lot of shoes!
And guess which lawyer represented this guy? Himself!
Facebook /Social Media Arrests – Stupid Lawsuit on the Way
Many of us are avid Facebook users are are familiar with a Facebook poke. But did you know a poke could land you in jail? That’s exactly what happened to Shannon D. Jackson of Hendersonville, TN. She is facing the real possibility of jail time.Jackson was arrested and on September 25th, and a bond set at $1,500, after she poked someone on Facebook. The problem? It allegedly violates the terms of an order of protection set by the court : "no telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with the petitioner."I can’t believe I am even writing about this. If found guilty, Jackson could face some even more jail time! How much time? It is possible she will receive 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The Tennessean writes:
"According to the affidavit filed in Sumner County General Sessions Court, Jackson is accused of using the "poke" option on Facebook to contact a Hendersonville woman, thus violating the terms of the order of protection…Hendersonville police have made copies of the page in which the alleged victim is shown to be "poked," according to the affidavit."
Arrest Records Search
Enter Any
