In February 1992, Stella Liebeck ordered a cup of coffee to go from McDonalds. Liebeck was sitting in the passenger seat of her nephew’s car, which was pulled over so she could add sugar to her coffee. While removing the cup’s lid, Liebeck spilled her hot coffee, burning her legs. It was determined that Liebeck suffered third degree burns on over six percent of her body. Originally, Liebeck sought $20,000 in damages. McDonalds refused to settle out of court. However, they should have. Liebeck was ultimately awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages, which was reduced to $160,000 because she was found to be twenty percent at fault. She was also awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages.
In September 1988, two Akron, Ohio-based carpet layers named Gordon Falker and Gregory Roach were severely burned when a three and a half gallon container of carpet adhesive ignited when the hot water heater it was sitting next to kicked on. Both men felt the warning label on the back of the can was insufficient. Words like “flammable” and “keep away from heat” didn’t prepare them for the explosion. They filed suit against the adhesive manufacturers, Para-Chem. A jury obviously agreed since the men were awarded $8 million for their troubles.
In 1992, 23-year old Karen Norman accidentally backed her car into Galveston Bay after a night of drinking. Norman couldn’t operate her seat belt and drowned. Her passenger managed to disengage herself and make it to shore. Norman ’s parents sued Honda for making a seat belt their drunken daughter (her blood alcohol level was .17 – nearly twice the legal limit) couldn’t open underwater. A jury found Honda seventy-five percent responsible for Karen’s death and awarded the Norman family $65 million. An appeals court threw out the case.
In May 2003, Stephen Joseph of San Francisco sued Kraft foods for putting trans-fat in their Oreo cookies. Joseph wanted an injunction to order Kraft to stop selling Oreos to children. Once the media caught wind of Joseph’s lawsuit, the media blitz became too much for him to handle. He decided to drop the suit.
In 1997, Larry Harris of Illinois broke into a bar owned by Jessie Ingram. Ingram, the victim of several break-ins, had recently set a trap around his windows to deter potential burglars. Harris, 37, who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs, must have missed the warning sign prominently displayed in the window. He set off the trap as he entered the window, electrocuting himself. The police refused to file murder charges. Harris’s family saw it differently, however, and filed a civil suit against Ingram. A jury originally awarded the Harris family $150,000. Later, the award was reduced to $75,000 when it was decided Harris should share at least half of the blame.
What do you think??? Are these cases wasting the time of our courts???
25 comments:
I think these cases are a waste of our time. There are real cases out there that need to be tended to. Things like this hold up the process and we have to wait forever to get hearings. I think that the lady who spilled her coffee shouldn't have been awarded anything. She should know (common-sense) that coffee is hot. The carpet men should have read the label, another common sense one. The lady who drowned.. The family shouldn't have been awarded anything. Money doesn't help grief. Don't drink and drive.
I do think these cases are a waste of time. A drunk girl who couldnt get her seat belt off is not the car dealers fault. What is wrong with these people of the world today. That girls parents are obviously trying to get back their daughter, but its never going to happen. People should just let life take its course. The lady that spilled her coffee shouldnt have been awarded anything, it was her own fault. Dont you want coffee to be hot? Seriously people are ridiculous.
Everything is a waste of time if you're just going to be stupid and desperate in order to get a sum of money out of something. You could just spill your pop in McDonalds and then go and slip on it on purpose and break your hip and go sue them for 40 billion dollars and with the stupid legal system that's in place, you're most likely going to win. Sad.
Of course these cases are wasting the time of our courts. These people were all at fault for their actions. People are always trying to point the finger at someone else. If you are a robber, if you have been drinking, or if your are just a klutz, it is not anyone else's fault but yours if you are injured. But I do think that the seatbelt thing should have been fixed and the robber should not have been killed by the trap.
These cases are stupid..people should only blame themselves for stupid crap like spilling coffee or getting fat, it was you who chose to eat that food and not exercise! How dumb can a person be?
These cases are just a waste of time. What are wrong with the people in this world today? Its your own fault for the things you cause/do. People are just dumb. Cant blame others for your mistakes.
STUPID STUPID STUPID people. What a waste of time. Might as well go to McDonalds and spend more $$$$$ so you can get EXXXXTRA BIG! instead of sueing for basically no reason.
these lawsuit should never even take place because its wasting tax payers dollars to run these things and which causes taxes to rise so these people in the court system get paid. people use their head before their body cuz its going to get them in a world of hurt someday
Let me think... YES it is wasting our time and money!!! Why cant we just all get common sense and work for our money instead of sue'n people for the dumbest reasons. They would sue them if the coffee was cold. In America we just cant be happy with what we have... we are a selfish country.
I think they are all stupid. It is your own fault for going and getting drunk then driving home and spilling hot coffee on yourself. I think that the family that sued the store owner should be punished themselves for even thinking of sueing.
i think that these cases are waste of time there are real cases out there that need attending to more then these ones. I think that the lady who spilled her coffee shouldnt have gotten anything she knew the coffee was hot and she could of put it in a more secure place. and for the carpet men they obiviously read the label they should have knowm. And more the lady who drowned they shouldnt have gotten any money it wasnt the car dealers fault she was drunk and probably didnt even know where the seat belt was and how did they know she was even trying to take it off she was dead.... and money doesnt help so dont drink and drive....
I think we should focus on different cases in are court system. Alot of what happen to these people was their own fault. Like coffee being hot what did she expect it to be cold? Sometimes i wonder about these people. I think in our country we need to focus on bigger problems.
I don't see how the jury can agree with these frivolous lawsuits. People will try to sue for anything now because they see these cases wining in the courts. It is a complete waste of time and money. There are more serious cases that the courts should be concerned about.
I think that these cases are dumb. i think that the lady who spilled her coffee was dumb because it is common sense that the coffee was hot so why didnt she just pull over and open it a different way i dont think she should of got any money and for that other lady she souldnt of drank and drove
these cases are absolutely rediculous. of course, go figure someone who is drunk cant get their seat belt off, but thats not the dealers fault, the cars aren't made to be driven by an intoxicated teenager, now are they. and as for the woman who spilt her coffee, if you don't want it so hot... put some ice in it.
These cases are a waste of time and money for our court systems to handle. Peoples own stupidity shouldnt allow them to sue others for their own mistakes. Just a bunch of idiots trying to make money.
These court cases seem like a waste of time to me. They are doing anything they can to get money and sue the company. It always seems like McDonalds is getting sued all the time for stupid stuff. I cant believe these people are actually winning the cases though. Its these peoples fault and they wont take responsibility for their actions and blame someone else. Its kinda sad.
wow these people are stupid i mean seriously. why waste the time of the courts and why would the courts reward some of these people with money it makes no sense to me.
There will always be stupid people and those would would try to take advantage of systems that can be worked into their favor. The people who need to stop this are the rest of us. The judges and juries that allow these ridiculous lawsuits to be rewarded only encourage more. It needs to stop.
these people are just lazy and looking for a easy way to make money but they are not talented enough to make up a scam they just find dumb things to sue about.
I beleive that Americans need to be responsible for themselves. Companys intentionally market their products to appeal to people and their wallets but as an individual, a human being with a free mind people need to think for themselves, isnt that the perpose of democracy? If people caNT control what they blow their money on they can go and be commi. People need to be responsible and think twice!
this os so stupid an i think that hte guy deserves it. so what if a person breaks in your house and you shoot him in the leg. so that means i could be suid for it that sucks
yeahi argee with everyone thses cases are a huge waste of time and money. you cant blame other people for the stupid decisions you make. you can read it right on the label people should just be more carfeul
i think these cases are ridiculous just like i said about the other one. yes i think they are a waste of our time and a waste of our courts. you have to have self control, instead of thinking oh it's cheap i think i will just eat away. that's my opinion on these matters.
These cases need to be tossed out as well as the people presenting them.. Give me a break go eat a donut you dumb people... take responsibility for your mistakes you rotten pieces of donkey doo... frustrating.@@!!!
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