Ah, the Human imagination at work – it is a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Except when used for nefarious purposes, of course.
The justice system gets its share of imaginative claims. It’s a truism of the law world - some people will try anything to make a million. As you’ll see below, that mindset is definitely not limited to our American friends, either. Ever thought of suing someone because they look like you? Someone in Coventry did! Check out a few other frivolous lawsuits for a laugh, but don’t try them yourself. Frivolous lawsuits very rarely make it through the courts, and usually wind up costing the plaintiff.
If you can’t sue the system, go on: sue yourself! 1995, Robert Lee Brock sued himself for $5 million. He claimed that he had violated his own civil rights and religious beliefs by allowing himself to get drunk and commit crimes which landed him in the Indian Creek Correctional Center in Virginia, serving a 23 year sentence for grand larceny and breaking and entering. What could he possibly have to gain by suing himself? Since being in prison prevented him from having an income, he expected the state to pay.
Verdict: Case was thrown out.
The stripper did it, I swear. In 2008, a married investment broker in his 30s sued a London strip club. Stephen Chang claimed in court papers that he was at the Hot Lap Dance Club and was getting a paid lap dance when the accident occurred. According to the lawsuit, as the dancer swung around, the heel of her shoe hit him in the eye, causing him "to sustain serious injuries." The lawsuit claimed the club "and/or its employee" were "negligent" for her "suddenly swinging around" and his lawyer says Chang sustained "serious injuries."
Verdict: Not guilty. The club, and the stripper.
Since when were haunted houses frightening? 2000, Cleanthi Peters sued Universal Studios for $15,000. She claimed to have suffered extreme fear, mental anguish, and emotional distress due to visiting Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights haunted house, which she said was too scary.
Verdict: Case thrown out.
Criminals need not bear the responsibility for their crimes alone when the real money is in Hollywood. 1996, the family of Patsy Ann Byers sued Oliver Stone, Warner Brother, and others involved in the making and distribution of the movie Natural Born Killers for an unspecified amount. They claimed that the movie caused Sarah Edmondson and Benjamin Darrus to go on a crime spree which resulted in Edmonson shooting Byers during a robbery, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. The lawsuit was originally filed in 1995, against Edmonson and Darrus, the actual perpetrators of the crime spree. Stone and the others involved with the film were added in 1996. The portion of the case aimed at Stone and his associates was dismissed in 2001.
Verdict: Case thrown out.
Negligent security is a legitimate claim, when you’re the victim, not the perpetrator! 2002, Edward Brewer sued Providence Hospital for $2 million. He claimed that the hospital was negligent because it had not prevented him from raping one of its patients. The judge ruled that any damage Brewer suffered due to his crime was his responsibility for choosing to commit the crime, and that the hospital had no legal duty to protect him from that choice.
Verdict: Case thrown out.
As we’ve been reminded again recently - music piracy can get you in real trouble, but you have to be alive to do it. 2005, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued Gertrude Walton, who had passed away the year before at the age of 83, after having received notice of her death and a copy of the death certificate. The RIAA claimed that Watson had illegally downloaded and shared over 700 songs. Watson’s daughter claims that she never even had a computer in the house. Although RIAA dropped the case against Watson, it was only one of over 20,000 similar lawsuits filed by the association beginning in 2003.
Verdict: Ummm, not so much.
Strike one for England. Cathy McGowan, 26 of Derby, was overjoyed when a DJ told her that she had correctly answered a quiz question and had won the competition prize: a Renault Clio. However, when she arrived at the radio station to pick up her prize she was presented with a 4-inch model of the car.
Verdict: We have a winner! In 2001, she sued and a judge at Derby County Court ruled that the Radio Station and its owners to pay £8,000 for the real vehicle.
The infamous McDonald’s coffee case. We all know that coffee is hot, that’s not in question. What most people don’t know is that McDonald’s was serving their coffee at about 180-190 degrees, hot enough to cause third degree burns in mere seconds. After 700 claims for serious injuries caused by their coffee, they continued to serve it at that temperature. 79-year-old, Stella Lieback suffered third degree burns, was in the hospital for eight days, had multiple surgeries and skin grafts. All she asked of McDonald’s was to pay her medical bills. They refused, prompting her and her family to take them to court.
Verdict: Contrary to popular belief, Stella did not walk away with millions. Small out of court settlement.
