When you hear the term lawsuits, you think of serious incidents such as personal injuries, family disputes, product liability, etc. However, you’d be surprised to find that some individuals file seemingly frivolous lawsuits in pursuit of compensation.
The legal system occasionally sees absurd cases, ranging from spilled hot coffee to the ingredients in microwavable popcorn. These lawsuits attract attention due to their ridiculous nature). Here are some of the dumbest lawsuit cases won in the United States:
5. Gas in a Repossessed Car
A Michigan woman was late on her payments for a 2008 Pontiac G6 she had previously leased. The company, Ally Financial Inc., repossessed her car–taking the gas in the gas tank with them. Victoria Jean Church-Dellinger decided to sue Ally Financial for $5 million dollars over of the remaining gas left in the vehicle, claiming it was her personal property. The case is still open, however it’s looking more like she’ll be receiving less than $30 for the entire amount of gas located in the tank.
4. Microwave Pop Corn
Who doesn’t love the buttery, crunchy popcorn that can be easily prepared in less than 3 minutes? Wayne Watson still makes popcorn at home, but now he does it on a stove top. Before, Watson was preparing it in the microwave. Apparently, the fumes he inhaled from his two-bag a day habit caused him to experience lung problems and later sue Glister-Mary Lee, and the grocery store chains he bought the popcorn from including Dillon Foods and Kroger. This $7 million dollar lawsuit ended in his favor and the additive that was the supposed culprit caused the lung issues were eradicated from the microwavable popcorn. No matter, Watson refuses to ever use a microwave for popcorn again. He claims he’ll stick to the stove top.
3. Suing Your Split Personality
1995 produced a lot of wonderful things, but apparently not for Robert Lee Brock. Brock, never diagnosed with split personality, attempted to sue himself while he was a prisoner of the state. He made the claim on the grounds that he violated his religious beliefs on the first of July in 1993 which resulted in his arrest. Of course, being a ward of the state, he asked that the state to take responsibility and pay his $5 million dollar lawsuit to himself. It was dismissed in court and Brock is still behind bars with his split personality.
2. Broken Beer Goggles
Like many other alcoholic beverages, Bud Light serves their advertisements with ice cold beer and scorching hot babes. One man in Michigan didn’t receive the product as advertised, or so he claimed. In 1991, Richard Overton sued the Anheuser-Busch Corporation on grounds that the Bud Light he consumed did not carry him away to a paradise full of beautiful women as the advertisement advised. Within his claims, Overton added his suffering of emotional distress, financial loss, and mental injury. He sued for $10,000 and was awarded $0. The case was dismissed by the courts.
1. McDonalds’ Coffee
Spilling a cup of coffee on your clothing or bare skin is painful, especially if that coffee is reaching between 180 and 190 degrees. Stella Lieback sued McDonalds in 1992 for $2.9 million dollars on the account that the coffee they served her was too hot and once spilled, caused severe injury that resulted in her spending eight days in the hospital with third degree burns. While at the hospital she had several surgeries and multiple skin grafts. When she asked the franchise to pay her medical bills, they refused. Lieback took the next step and filed a lawsuit against them. Needless to say, how responsible she is with holding her own cup of coffee was questioned. She didn’t walk away with the whole $2.9 million, but still got $640,000. Let’s hope she can hold on to her money better than that cup of coffee.
Fighting Back Against Stupid Lawsuits
While it may seem ridiculous that people would invest time and effort into filing a frivolous lawsuit, it is indeed possible. If you’re facing a lawsuit for something unreasonable, our Henderson personal injury lawyers at Jones Wilson Injury Lawyers are here to provide comprehensive legal assistance. Schedule a free consultation by calling 702-405-6000.
