Lawsuits in the News

‘Baby’ singer Justin Bieber hit with paternity suit

How Ridiculous?
 

A California woman says that Justin Bieber is the father of her baby and is suing the pop star for child support.  She says she met him backstage at a concert when he was 16 and she was 19 (interestingly, if her allegations are true, she may be opening herself to statutory rape charges, given that the age of consent in California is 18).

Read the story: New York Post

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Years Later, Lawsuit Seeks to Recreate a Wedding

How Ridiculous?
 

A man unhappy with his wedding photos is suing the photographers for a refund of $4,100 – and an additional $48,000 to completely restage the wedding with his now ex-wife.

Read the story: New York Times

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Seriously, We Couldn’t Make This Stuff Up

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From the Drug and Device Law Blog: “plaintiff alleged that she got a rash from a placebo and she attempted to prove her claim with testimony from her artist-husband and a mold-specialist who hadn’t read her medical records or the clinical study at issue.”

Read the story: Drug and Device Law Blog

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SeaWorld accused in suit of enslaving captive orcas

How Ridiculous?
 

An activist group has sued Sea World, accusing the park of “enslaving” killer whales.  The group says animals should be given the same rights as humans and are therefore protected against involuntary servitude under the 13th amendment that prohibits slavery.

Read the story: Reuters

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Musician suing for age bias says his 88-year-old judge is too old to preside, ‘unable to function’

How Ridiculous?
 

A 60-year-old musician who is suing for age discrimination wants the judge removed from the case – because he’s too old.  Ironically, the plaintiff says his fight against age-based discrimination is too important to leave in the hands of the 88-year-old judge.

Read the story: New York Daily News

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Pittsburgh to pay $62,000 for attorneys’ fees on stun gun lawsuit verdict that netted man $269

How Ridiculous?
 

The city of Pittsburgh will pay $269 to settle charges that police officers improperly used a stun gun to apprehend a suspect.  The city will also have to pay $62,000 to his attorneys (the attorneys originally asked for $92,000).

Read the story: Washington Post

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Actress Sues Amazon for Revealing Her Age on IMDb

How Ridiculous?
 

A Hollywood actress is suing a website for accurately publishing her age.  The 40 year-old actress wants $1 million from the site, claiming she will lose work if producers know her real age.

Read the story: Associated Press

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Judge slashes ‘highly unreasonable’ fee request in Prius headlight case

How Ridiculous?
 

A judge in Los Angeles has denied an attorney’s fee request for $4.7 million in a suit that delivered a settlement value of $3.8 million.  The judge called the request “highly unreasonable,” considering the case “could not be simpler.”

Read the story: National Law Journal

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No fruit in Fruit by the Foot? General Mills sued over snacks

How Ridiculous?
 

A California mother, backed by a Washington DC group, has filed a lawsuit against General Mills, alleging that the company gives a false impression that their snacks are healthy.

Read the story: Los Angeles Times

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Woman sues over misleading ‘Drive’ trailer

How Ridiculous?
 

A Michigan woman who claims she was misled by the trailers for the movie ‘Drive’ is suing the distributors of the film.  She says she was disappointed by the lack of driving in the film and was expecting something more similar to the ‘Fast and Furious’ films.

Read the story: Entertainment Weekly

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Turbulent flight lands in court

How Ridiculous?
 

Continental Airlines is being sued by a passenger who says she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by a turbulent flight.  The plaintiff says her new fear of flying has negatively impacted her career choices since she can no longer travel by air.

Read the story: Houston Chronicle

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Class Puts the Squeeze on P&G

How Ridiculous?
 

Proctor & Gamble has been sued by a consumer who is unhappy that, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get the final bits of toothpaste out of the dispenser.

Read the story: Courthouse News Service

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Teen injured hopping High Line fence to sue city for $2.5 million

How Ridiculous?
 

A New Jersey teen who was locked inside a park after closing is suing the city, saying he hurt himself when he was forced to jump over a fence to get out.

Read the story: New York Daily News

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Braylon Edwards files $14 million lawsuit against Detroit restaurant

How Ridiculous?
 

NFL receiver Braylon Edwards filed a lawsuit against a Michigan nightclub after the club indentified Edwards as a participant in a brawl.  He says the incident cost him a $15 million contract, and instead had to settle for a $1 million contract.

Read the story: Associated Press

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New York Judge Knocks Lawyers for “Epic Failures”

How Ridiculous?
 

An angry judge chastised a plaintiffs law firm for wasting the court’s time and resources by bringing a shareholder lawsuit on behalf of a client that, in fact, never owned any of the shares in question.

Read the story: WSJ Law Blog

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Guest Can Sue Motel 6 Over Attack by Woman’s Pimp

How Ridiculous?
 

A man who paid $30 for sex with a prostitute and later got into a fight with her pimps will be allowed to sue the motel where the events occurred, a Pennsylvania judge ruled.  The judge dismissed the hotel’s defense that it should not have to protect customers who were engaged in illegal activity.

Read the story: On Point News

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Judge Rules for LeBron James, Tosses Paternity Suit

How Ridiculous?
 

Remember this from 2010?  A lawyer who claimed he was LeBron James’ father (despite a negative paternity test) sued the all-star, saying James should submit to a second test (and pay him millions of his earnings to boot).  A judge just tossed the suit.

Read the story: BLT: The Blog of Legal Times

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Oversize Man Sues White Castle Over Seats

How Ridiculous?
 

A nearly-300 pound man is suing White Castle restaurants, saying that their booths are too tight to accommodate someone of his size.  The man’s suit, filed under the Americans With Disabilities Act, claims that the tight squeeze at White Castle is a violation of his civil rights.

Read the story: My Fox NY

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Lawsuit filed over girl’s fall from Idaho fraternity house

How Ridiculous?
 

A former University of Idaho student is suing the school, the state board, her sorority, and a fraternity after she fell from the fraternity’s house on an early morning two years ago.  The plaintiff says the defendants did not do enough to prevent underage persons from drinking alcohol, herself included.

Read the story: Standard-Examiner

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Ohio Man Sues for Part of $99 Million Jackpot Won by Co-Workers

How Ridiculous?
 

An Ohio man who spent years buying lotto tickets with his co-workers is now suing a group of them that hit a winning $99 million jackpot.  The man stopped paying into the group pool a few months ago and never started again despite repeated invites to rejoin.  The plaintiff claims there is an unwritten code that requires members to cover for sick or vacationing co-workers.

Read the story: Fox News

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