Top 10 Law Cartoons | Ever!
Thursday 30 April 2009
Don’t Try This At Home (PART 2!) | Ridiculous Lawsuits
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.
7 Famous Sports Injuries | Don’t Try THIS At Home
Sports stars have it rough. Every day their line of work subjects their bodies to punishment only cortisone, ice cold baths and the occasional surgery can take care of. Injuries sustained on the pitch often linger long after retirement from the sport.
But, they get stupid amounts of money. So it’s a trade off.
Every so often, real life dishes out more punishment than an on-field injury ever could. Here’s a list of 7 all time stupid injuries suffered by professional athletes - while not at work:
7. Leroy ‘Big Stretch’ Lita
Lita missed the first month of the 2007-08 Premier League season after damaging a leg muscle as he stretched in bed after waking up. “Leroy is in a great deal of pain,” said Steve Coppell, the Reading manager. “He woke up and stretched while in bed and he has done something to his leg. It is not an injury that should be ridiculed or made light of,” he added.
6. Ian ‘Spiderman’ Greig
The unfortunate Greig snapped his key in the lock after arriving home after playing for Sussex in the county championship match with Kent in June 1983. No problem, thought the resourceful all-rounder, as he spotted an open window and proceeded to shin up the wall of his house. Greig lost his footing and fell nearly 20 feet, breaking an ankle in the process. Now playing for Surrey, he was in the wars again four years later after being hit on the hand in a game. He went to the local hospital for an X-ray to make sure there were no broken bones and stood up, banging his head on the machine and opening up a wound which required two stitches.
5. Ted ‘Hex’ Dexter
Dexter, one of England’s all-time greatest batsmen, was run over by a car in June 1965. His own. The Jaguar he was driving ran out of petrol on the Great West Road in Brentford and he opted to try and push it to the nearest garage. Unfortunately the vehicle had a mind of its own and Dexter lost control, ending up being pinned against a factory gate with a smashed leg.
4. Steve Morrow (aka ‘the Tony Adams guy’)
The highlight of Morrow’s career turned into one of his worst nightmares thanks to the over-exhuberance of Tony Adams, his Arsenal team-mate. The former Northern Ireland defender scored the winning goal in the 1993 League Cup final win against Sheffield Wednesday, his first for the club, but in the post-match celebrations Adams lifted Morrow on to his shoulders before promptly dropping him, unintentionally, like a sack of potatoes. Morrow was taken to hospital with a broken arm and was ruled out for the rest of the season, which meant he also missed the FA Cup final [also against Wednesday], though he made history before that game by going up to receive his League Cup winners' medal.
3. Gus ‘Headbanger’ Frerotte
Ever wondered why American football players wear helmets? Frerotte was a quarterback with the Washington Redskins and one bar short of a facemask, it would appear. In 1997 he celebrated scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants by head-butting the padded stadium wall. Unfortunately, his target consisted of a thin layer of foam covering a block of concrete and although Frerotte continued groggily until half-time, he was then taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with concussion and was never really the same player again. "People made a big deal out of that," Frerotte said. "I just laugh about it. It was an emotional thing. I was excited, and it's not something I made an effort to do, it just happened."
2. Glenallen ‘Spiderman’ Hill
Baseball is a dangerous game. Pitchers throw fastballs at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour, there are collisions between fielders and between batsmen and fielders. Glenallen Hill’s injury, however, was something quite different. On the roster of the Toronto Blue Jays at the time, Hill turned up with bumps and bruises before a match with the Seattle Mariners in July 1990 and declared himself unavailable to play. He then proceeded to tell incredulous reporters the story of what had happened the night before which was so bizarre he could not have possibly made it up. Hill, who suffers from arachnophobia, had been having a nightmare that he was being attacked by a spider and literally got out of bed and started trying to flee – while still asleep. He subsequently tumbled out of bed, cut his foot on a glass table and fell down a flight of stairs while sleepwalking. ''When I woke up I was on a couch and my wife, Mika, was screaming, 'Honey, wake up!''' he told the Associated Press.
1. David Beckham (aka ‘FERGIE DECKS BECKS’)
Many of the closest relationships end in spectacular bust-ups and Beckham’s falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson was splashed across the front pages of all the tabloids. Ferguson was fuming after his Manchester United side lost 2-0 to arch rivals Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February 2003 and lashed out with his foot at a stray boot in the changing room. Of course, he had no intention of hurting poor Goldenballs, but, with the unerring accuracy of a Beckham free-kick, the rogue piece of footwear avoided the wall and curled towards the head of United’s star player, opening up a nasty cut that bled profusely. Beckham was furious and later needed two butterfly stitches to stem the flow of blood. “It was a graze which was dealt with by the doctor," Ferguson said. "It was a freakish incident. If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn't happen again.
But, they get stupid amounts of money. So it’s a trade off.
Every so often, real life dishes out more punishment than an on-field injury ever could. Here’s a list of 7 all time stupid injuries suffered by professional athletes - while not at work:
7. Leroy ‘Big Stretch’ Lita
Lita missed the first month of the 2007-08 Premier League season after damaging a leg muscle as he stretched in bed after waking up. “Leroy is in a great deal of pain,” said Steve Coppell, the Reading manager. “He woke up and stretched while in bed and he has done something to his leg. It is not an injury that should be ridiculed or made light of,” he added.
6. Ian ‘Spiderman’ Greig
The unfortunate Greig snapped his key in the lock after arriving home after playing for Sussex in the county championship match with Kent in June 1983. No problem, thought the resourceful all-rounder, as he spotted an open window and proceeded to shin up the wall of his house. Greig lost his footing and fell nearly 20 feet, breaking an ankle in the process. Now playing for Surrey, he was in the wars again four years later after being hit on the hand in a game. He went to the local hospital for an X-ray to make sure there were no broken bones and stood up, banging his head on the machine and opening up a wound which required two stitches.
5. Ted ‘Hex’ Dexter
Dexter, one of England’s all-time greatest batsmen, was run over by a car in June 1965. His own. The Jaguar he was driving ran out of petrol on the Great West Road in Brentford and he opted to try and push it to the nearest garage. Unfortunately the vehicle had a mind of its own and Dexter lost control, ending up being pinned against a factory gate with a smashed leg.
4. Steve Morrow (aka ‘the Tony Adams guy’)
The highlight of Morrow’s career turned into one of his worst nightmares thanks to the over-exhuberance of Tony Adams, his Arsenal team-mate. The former Northern Ireland defender scored the winning goal in the 1993 League Cup final win against Sheffield Wednesday, his first for the club, but in the post-match celebrations Adams lifted Morrow on to his shoulders before promptly dropping him, unintentionally, like a sack of potatoes. Morrow was taken to hospital with a broken arm and was ruled out for the rest of the season, which meant he also missed the FA Cup final [also against Wednesday], though he made history before that game by going up to receive his League Cup winners' medal.
3. Gus ‘Headbanger’ Frerotte
Ever wondered why American football players wear helmets? Frerotte was a quarterback with the Washington Redskins and one bar short of a facemask, it would appear. In 1997 he celebrated scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants by head-butting the padded stadium wall. Unfortunately, his target consisted of a thin layer of foam covering a block of concrete and although Frerotte continued groggily until half-time, he was then taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with concussion and was never really the same player again. "People made a big deal out of that," Frerotte said. "I just laugh about it. It was an emotional thing. I was excited, and it's not something I made an effort to do, it just happened."
2. Glenallen ‘Spiderman’ Hill
Baseball is a dangerous game. Pitchers throw fastballs at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour, there are collisions between fielders and between batsmen and fielders. Glenallen Hill’s injury, however, was something quite different. On the roster of the Toronto Blue Jays at the time, Hill turned up with bumps and bruises before a match with the Seattle Mariners in July 1990 and declared himself unavailable to play. He then proceeded to tell incredulous reporters the story of what had happened the night before which was so bizarre he could not have possibly made it up. Hill, who suffers from arachnophobia, had been having a nightmare that he was being attacked by a spider and literally got out of bed and started trying to flee – while still asleep. He subsequently tumbled out of bed, cut his foot on a glass table and fell down a flight of stairs while sleepwalking. ''When I woke up I was on a couch and my wife, Mika, was screaming, 'Honey, wake up!''' he told the Associated Press.
1. David Beckham (aka ‘FERGIE DECKS BECKS’)
Many of the closest relationships end in spectacular bust-ups and Beckham’s falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson was splashed across the front pages of all the tabloids. Ferguson was fuming after his Manchester United side lost 2-0 to arch rivals Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February 2003 and lashed out with his foot at a stray boot in the changing room. Of course, he had no intention of hurting poor Goldenballs, but, with the unerring accuracy of a Beckham free-kick, the rogue piece of footwear avoided the wall and curled towards the head of United’s star player, opening up a nasty cut that bled profusely. Beckham was furious and later needed two butterfly stitches to stem the flow of blood. “It was a graze which was dealt with by the doctor," Ferguson said. "It was a freakish incident. If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn't happen again.
Wednesday 29 April 2009
Injury DO | Injury DON’T
Wanna sue? Here’s what NOT to do...
1. DO NOT: Miss appointments
Insurance companies and juries get to see your medical records and they will know when you don’t show up. You may have had a very good reason for not showing up for an appointment, but generally excuses, no matter how valid, usually do not make it into the record.
2 . DO NOT: Go golfing. Play tennis. Take Lands End to John O’Groats bicycle trip
Because they’re watching you...
They are _ALWAYS_ watching you.
3. DO NOT: Wait to get injury treatment, or lie to your doctor about previous injuries
Your Doctor WILL ask you if you have had any previous injuries or illness before your accident. It is very important to be honest when answering these questions because it will allow the doctor to make a more accurate diagnosis and then be able to prescribe a more therapeutic course of treatment for you. Also, not being fully honest will only hurt your legal case. If you provide your doctor with incomplete information, their medical opinions could be rejected by the insurance company and by a jury. When insurance companies and juries review your records, they will be looking to see how soon you reported pain after an injury and how long you continued to report that pain. One easy way to make sure your pain and limitations do make it into your chart is to write it down before your appointment (or keep a daily journal) and then give it to your doctor at your visit.
4. DO NOT: Tell your Doctor you’ve got a multi-thousand (million?) settlement pending
Your doctor’s job is to focus on your medical care and he or she does not need to know about your legal issues. Not only is it unnecessary to share this information with your doctor, it can negatively impact your medical care and your legal case.
5. DO NOT: Inherently trust your doctor to keep accurate records
It is important that your lawyer knows every medical care provider you have seen and every procedure that you have done after an injury. It is also important that you keep track of all doctors’ orders, treatments, referrals, and work restrictions. The easiest way to do this is just to make and maintain a file folder to help yourself, your solicitor, and your case by keeping track of all your medical care.
6. DO NOT: Rent ‘Yes Man’ on DVD
Not a funny movie. 2 stars.
7. DO NOT: Brag to your colleagues at work of your settlement
Because they’re watching you...
They are _ALWAYS_ watching you (...this hasn’t changed).
8. DO NOT: Wait to find eye witnesses
After an accident, always exchange driver details and take some accident notes. Get out your pen and paper to gather the following:
- § name
- § address
- § phone numbers
- § driver license
- § license plate number
- § insurance company and policy number
In a situation where the driver’s name is different than the name of the insured on the accident vehicle – you will need to take down details for each of the driver and the car owner. In all cases, take photographs of the damage to your car, the other driver’s car, and the entire accident scene to give perspective of the event. Take wide shots of tyre skid markings to show vehicle travel paths. Photographs showing the entire accident can help you make your case to claims adjusters if there is a dispute. They also make good Christmas cards.
9. DO NOT: Miss court hearings
Captain Obvious says: make sure you go to your court hearings when required to! There are no good excuses for missing court dates, as the court will frown upon (at best) your hollow excuses. Somehow, it worked for Michael Jackson, but it probably will not work for you. No show at your peril.
10. DO NOT: Go to Euro Disney with your family
THEY ARE WATCHING YOU! Every _SINGLE_ one of them. All watching, YOU! Besides giving any private investigator studying your case the wrong ‘impression’ – the impression that you may, possibly, not be quite as injured as you have indicated – the weak pound means you’ll get less for your dosh. Stay close to home, plan a Pontins or ParkDean holiday to Cornwall instead.
BONUS! DO NOT: File your claim with a claims management company
Many claims management businesses offer loans, insurance or credit agreements.
It is always possible to use the services of a regulated network of specialist solicitors, like InjuryLawyers4u, and others. The approved solicitor that is assigned to you should manage all aspects of your claim. No middleman should make a profit at the expense of a client and/or their solicitors.
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