The Top Ten Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2011

[Janet]

ILR announced the top ten vote-getters from among those chosen throughout the year by visitors to the FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org website. The lawsuits were selected from those featured in the website's monthly polls for 2011. The Faces of Lawsuit Abuse campaign is ILR's public awareness effort created to highlight the impact of abusive lawsuits on small businesses, communities, and individuals.

 

The top ten Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2011 are:

 

•Convict sues couple he kidnapped for not helping him evade police

•Man illegally brings gun into bar, gets injured in a fight, then sues bar for not searching him for a weapon

•Young adults sue mother for sending cards without gifts and playing favorites

•Woman disagrees with store over 80-cent refund, sues for $5 million

•Mom files suit against exclusive preschool over child's college prospects

•Man suing for age discrimination says judge in his case is too old

•Obese man sues burger joint over tight squeeze in booths

•Woman sues over movie trailer; says not enough driving in "Drive"

•Passenger's lawsuit says cruise ship went too fast and swayed from side to side

•Mother sues Chuck E. Cheese – says games encourage gambling in children

[Janet]

 

My personal favorite is "Man suing for age discrimination says judge in his case is too old."

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

What gets me is what kind on an attorney would take one of these cases?   

[Martha R]

Maybe they are representing themselves.   I've known a few "vexatious litigants" over the years.   Some of them have mental issues.  

Years ago I came across a mentally ill woman with violent outrages.  I saw her around town from time to time.  Then I was called in to do a short trial, and she was representing herself in the trial.   I think it was she either assaulted someone or she said she was assaulted. I forget.  The jury was out for 15 minutes, and came back and the verdict was against her.   Weird.

I have also had a few homeless men representing themselves, too, in depositions.  I've seen all sorts of odd people over the years.

I did a depo years ago where an in pro per was suing Google for copyright infringement because Google was holding written work of this man in "cache" which means Google stores documents in cyberspace.   I thought was pretty weird, but maybe the guy had a point.  But in pro per against Google?   You need a fool for an attorney to do that.

[Janet]

 

When I worked in court, there were quite a few inmates who would bring lawsuits and represent themselves.  What do they have to lose?

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I understand the inmates; they have plenty of time on their hands.  Most of the mentally ill people aren't smart enough I wouldn't think to file a lawsuit.  I like the "old broke fart" comment.  Pretty funny but may be true.