Lawsuits in the News

Text message sender may be held responsible for car crash

How Ridiculous?
 

After a distracted driver checking his messages hits a motorcycle, who gets sued? The person who sent him a text message! The victims’ suit says the texter knew the driver was on the road and was “electronically present” in the vehicle.

Read the story: New York Daily News

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Lottery lawsuit

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An Arkansas woman who found a winning lottery ticket in a trashcan is being sued by the original owner of the ticket.  The original purchaser said she tossed the ticket when a scanner incorrectly said it was not a winner.  The woman who found and claimed the $1 million prize says the ticket was abandoned, and has already started spending the winnings.

Read the story: Associated Press

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Charleston attorney sues county commission for home confinement injury

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A West Virginia lawyer that was convicted of beating a former client with a baseball bat is suing the commission that oversees his house arrest. The attorney, who was sentenced to 1-5 years of home confinement for malicious wounding, says the ankle bracelet that monitors his whereabouts caused his leg to get an infection.

Read the story: West Virginia Record

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Redwood City Parents Sue School District Over Student’s Cheating Punishment

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A California high school student was kicked out of his honors English class for copying another student’s homework, a punishment that is in keeping with the school’s Academy Honesty Pledge. Now, the student’s parents are suing the school, claiming that the school’s policy on cheating is “vague and contradictory.”

Read the story: CBS

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Man sues BMW for 20-month erection after bike ride

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A biker claims that a four-hour ride on his BMW motorcycle with a ridge-like seat has left him with a persistent erection and made it impossible for him to engage in sexual activity.

Read the story: USA Today

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Lawyer Claims He Had No Authority to Settle Case for $350K; Jurors Planned $9M Verdict

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A California trial lawyer that accepted a $350,000 settlement offer is trying to undue the agreement after he found out the jury was prepared to render a $9 million verdict.  The attorney claims he had no authority to settle the case, and wants the judge to grant a new trial.

Read the story: ABA Journal

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Lawsuit against Apple for ‘bait apps’ gets go-ahead

How Ridiculous?
 

Apple is being sued over its “freemium” apps by a group of angry parents.  The class action claims that certain apps can be downloaded for free, but then charge their iTunes account if the kids make in-app purchases for extra features.  The plaintiffs say Apple wrongly advertised the apps as free, but Apple responds that the purchases are password protected and parents shouldn’t give the kids access  (plaintiffs counter that there was a 15-minute window after the app download – since eliminated – where kids could still make purchases).

Read the story: MSNBC.com

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INTERNATIONAL: Worker injured during sex gets compensation payout

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Apparently, Americans aren’t the only ones who file frivolous suits.  Case in point – an Australian woman took her company to court for compensation after she hurt herself having sex in her hotel room while on a work trip.

Read the story: NewsAU

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Toms River Couple Sues Landlord Over Alleged Paranormal Activity

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A New Jersey couple is taking their landlord to court, alleging that the house they rented is haunted.  They say they’ve heard eerie noises, seen lights flicker, and felt tugs on their bed sheets, and even called in a paranormal research group to investigate.  The landlord thinks they’re just trying to get out of their lease.

Read the story: CBS New York

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SD man’s lawsuit says circumcision ‘robbed’ him

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A South Dakota man who was circumcised as a newborn is suing the hospital that performed the procedure, claiming that it robbed him of his “sexual prowess.”  The 28 year old plaintiff, who says he only recently became aware that he was circumcised, wants the operation to be reversed.

Read the story: San Francisco Chronicle

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City of Quincy to pay $4 million to bus crash victim

How Ridiculous?
 

An SUV skidded out of control on a wet Illinois road, crossing the median and slamming into an oncoming city bus.  The passenger in the SUV, who was injured in the crash, sued the bus driver, the city of Quincy, and the SUV driver.  The city agreed to pay $4 million to settle the case.

Read the story: KHQA News

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Chateau Bourbon Wyndham sued by woman stuck in elevator for 20 minutes

How Ridiculous?
 

The plaintiff says the elevator car got “unbearably” hot after it suddenly stopped between the 3rd and 4th floors.  She was trapped for 20 minutes before employees got her out, and the ordeal has left her with anxiety, fear, and emotional distress.

Read the story: Louisiana Record

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UK’s One Direction Sued by US Band With Same Name

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A northern California band called One Direction is suing the British boy band also called One Direction, saying the boy band’s use of the name has caused “substantial confusion and substantial damage” to their group.  The Californians say they deserve three times the profit earned by the newcomers, plus $1 million in compensatory damages.

Read the story: Reuters

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Lawsuit: Student Needs Guinea Pig For Support

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A Michigan college relaxed its rules to temporarily allow a student to keep an “emotional support” guinea pig in her dorm room to help her cope with depression and emotional challenges.  Now, she has filed a lawsuit to make the accommodation permanent, hoping to change the rules to allow students to keep “therapeutic” animals in the dorms (in the same way that service animals are allowed).

Read the story: CBS Detroit

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Judge tosses Happy Meal lawsuit against McDonald’s

How Ridiculous?
 

The proposed class action accused the chain of using Happy Meal toys to lure children into its restaurants.

Read the story: Reuters

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Class-action shakedown

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A judge dismissed a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen after finding the plaintiffs’ claims were meritless.  However, the lawyers were allowed to file an amended complaint and collect $500,000 in fees, despite the objections of class members that the fees were excessive and a violation of their agreement.

Read the story: Washington Times

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Judge Slaps Motley Rice With Fees Over “Frivolous” Lawsuit

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A federal judge has ordered several law firms to pay $400,000 for filing a “frivolous” whistleblower lawsuit against an educational services company.  After the whistleblower said they had never even considered filing a suit before they were contacted by a lawyer, the judge decided the case “was brought for an improper purpose.”

Read the story: Forbes

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Octogenarian Sues Apple For Collision Related Injury

How Ridiculous?
 

A woman is suing Apple for $1 million after she walked into the glass door at the front of one of their New York stores.  The woman says that the Apple logos on the doors are insufficient warning of their presence.

Read the story: CBS New York

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Alumni suit against New York Law School thrown out of court

How Ridiculous?
 

A class action lawsuit filed by a group of recent law school graduates has been dismissed by a New York judge.  The suit claimed that law schools misrepresented their jobs data to attract potential students.  In dismissing the class action, the judge told the plaintiffs that “the issues posed by this case exemplify the adage that not every ailment afflicting society may be redressed by a lawsuit.”

Read the story: National Law Journal

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‘Poolmageddon’ for trial lawyers

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An editorial from the Washington Examiner looks into a new rule from the Department of Justice requiring public swimming pools to have a permanent lift for every “water element” of their facilities (as opposed to the moveable lifts many currently have).  While the DOJ doesn’t have any plans to enforce the rule anytime soon, enterprising lawyers and plaintiffs will be able to sue businesses that aren’t in compliance under the ADA.

Read the story: Washington Examiner

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