Welcome to part 2 of 2 of my blog about frivolous lawsuits. Lots of people believe they're only a stone's throw from striking it rich. All you need to do is check out the number of pioneers (the 49ers) traveling to California during the gold rush days in search of sudden wealth. Overland it was a dangerous trip that took several months. From Europe or Asia, it was a long ocean voyage. And from Europe, that only got you to the East Coast, there was still the journey all the way across the country to California. The completion of the trans-continental railroad was still twenty years away (1869).
However, the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme has evolved quite a bit since the time of our ancestors. In today's world, frivolous lawsuits might be one of the most popular techniques for gaining a sudden windfall of cash. When the consumer feels wronged, they have the power to fight back. But some take that power too far, and it's led to some pretty ridiculous lawsuits, as evidenced by the 12 examples listed here.
1. Landlord sues non-tenants: An Israeli couple was ready to sign the paperwork on a new rental. At least, that's what the landlord thought when the couple sent him a text that made it seem like they wanted the property. He'd assumed wrong. The landlord removed the property's ad, but it turned out that the couple wasn't as committed as he believed, and they backed out of the deal. The landlord, furious at being misled by the miscommunication, sued for the $2,000 in rent he lost. Surprisingly, the judge ruled in his favor!
2. Grandma sues Universal Studios: Every Halloween, Universal Studios put on an event known as "Horror Nights." Employees dressed up as ghouls, zombies, and serial killers and tried to spook park guests. Apparently it was scary—just ask Cleanthi Peters. She allegedly sued for $15,000 when a costumed employee got a little too into his monster role and chased her and her granddaughter with a fake chainsaw. The case outcome was not reported.
3. Man sues Foster's: If you've turned on a TV in the past decade or so, you've probably seen a commercials for Foster's beer, complete with Aussie flags, kangaroos, and an accented narrator. A man named Leif Nelson had noticed. Apparently, it turned his world upside down when he learned that Fosters was brewed in Fort Worth, Texas and not in Australia. His life a lie, he sued the beer company for an unknown amount for their dishonesty. As of yet, the suit's result has not been published.
4. Man sues British Airways: In 2014, an American dentist planned a first-class flight on British Airways to the beautiful city of Granada, Spain. But the trip didn't quite go as planned. Nine hours after takeoff, the dentist was dismayed to find he wasn't in Granada, Spain, but the city of Grenada…in the Caribbean. The airline refused to refund his tickets, so he sued for $34,000 in damages. He lost the suit.
5. Woman sues Google Maps: One day, a woman needed walking directions, so she consulted Google Maps. Google suggested a route that had her walking down Utah's Deer Valley Drive. The problem? Deer Valley Drive, aka State Route 224, was not fit for foot traffic. There was nowhere to walk, but she gave it the ol’ college try anyway, which ended horrifically when a car smashed into her. She then sued Google for $100,000, but the court dismissed her claim.
6. Man sues New York City subway: A man decided to take his own life by jumping in front of a moving subway train. The passing train didn't kill him, but it did seriously wound him. His family claimed that the train conductor hadn't slowed down in time. The family sued for $650,000, and surprisingly, they won. Tragically, He jumped in front of another subway train years later. That time, he didn't make it.
7. Hellmann's sues competitor: If you have mayonnaise in your fridge, there's a good chance it's the Hellmann's brand, and the company wants to keep it that way. That's why they sued their competitor, Hampton Creek. Their reasoning, however, was a bit much. Mayonnaise is defined as an "egg-based spread," so when Hampton Creek released their egg-free mayonnaise, Hellmann cried foul. It wasn't actually mayo, the company claimed, and saying otherwise was false advertising. They eventually dropped the suit.
8. Man sues McDonald's: In 2014, a California man had just finished pounding back a burger, fries, and an ice-cold Coke when he asked a cashier for more napkins. Then, life as he knew it, ended. The cashier allegedly mumbled something, and he took it to be racially discriminatory. He claimed his ensuing emotional distress left him unable to work, so he sued for $1.5 million. Some say he's still searching for a napkin. Either way, the case was unresolved.
9. Woman sues Starbucks: Have you ever ordered an expensive coffee only to find you got less than you ordered? A Chicago woman had, many times, and it frustrated her enough to take legal action. She sued Starbucks for $5 million, claiming the company misrepresented the amount of actual drink in a venti-sized iced coffees. The lawsuit didn't get far. As Starbucks had tweeted out a year earlier, if she wanted less ice, she only had to ask. Because of this, a judge threw out the case.
10. Judge sues dry cleaner: Washington D.C. judge took his pants to the dry cleaner, and because the store had a "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign hanging in the lobby, he knew his pants were in the right hands. Or were they? The judge never received the correct pair of pants, so naturally, he sued the family-owned dry cleaner for $54 million. He represented himself during the civil case, and, no joke, worked himself into a tearful frenzy during his testimony. He lost his suit (and his pants).
11. Man sues Jack Murphy Stadium and San Diego: While at a Billy Joel Concert at a San Diego arena, the man had to use the bathroom. So, he strolled over to the restroom, went in, and saw something that, evidently, scarred him. He didn't realize the bathrooms at the stadium were unisex, so upon entering the restroom of his choice, he saw a woman peeing in a urinal. Frightened by what he saw, he held his bathroom urge for four hours and sued the stadium and city for $54 million. He lost the suit.
12. Man sues Michael Jordan: Have you ever had someone mistake you for Michael Jordan? Apparently, a man had, and it totally ruined his life so he sued the basketball legend. He sued Jordan for $416 million, an amount he pulled from thin air—it just felt right to him that Jordan should pay big money for "stealing his likeness." He officially filed the suit, but dropped it after a visit from Nike's lawyers. [Unless someone has had plastic surgery to purposely make him or her look like a specific celebrity, I don't see how two unrelated people physically looking alike can be lawsuit material.]
While there's always more to the story than meets the eye, these lawsuits sure seem frivolous! Were they get-rich-quick schemes or truly an instance where someone was wronged?
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