Personal injury lawyers can be judged harshly in today’s society. A common criticism of them is that they are all greedy and heartless, willing to do anything to take money from other people. While this may be true of some, the majority can be an accident victim’s only ally against unfair insurance policies and mounting hospital bills.
Despite this, the negative stigma surrounding the profession persists in many people’s minds. This is likely due to the occasionally absurd and frivolous personal injury claims that make the news. If you can’t think of an example off the top of your head, look at this list of the 5 most absurd lawsuits ever filed.
- Man sues dry-cleaners for $67 million for losing his pants – Although his request was later lowered to $54 million, Roy Pearson, argued that “never before in recorded history have a group of defendants engaged in such misleading and unfair business practices.” Mr. Pearson eventually lost his case when the dry-cleaners presented his pants in court, but if he had won the $54 million reward would have made his pants the
most valuable pants in history. - Woman sues Google for bad directions – Lauren Rosenberg was attempting to walk from 96 Daly Street, Park City, Utah, to 1710 Prospector Avenue, Park City, Utah, using Google maps on her cell phone, but when the route led her to Utah State Route 224, a major thoroughfare, she continued walking. After she was hit by a fast-moving car on the interstate she sued Google for $100,000 despite the warning that Google gives on its maps page that its directions might not be safe.
- A woman sues a haunted house for being too scary – Cleanthi Peters went to the Universal Studios “Haunted Horror Nights,” which markets itself as “the scariest experience you’ll ever have at a theme park.” Despite the obvious possibility of seeing something scary, Ms. Peters was nevertheless surprised when a man holding a fake chainsaw popped out. Panicking, she quickly ran outside where she slipped on a puddle. She then attempted to sue the park for $15,000. She did not win.
- Man sues Anheuser-Busch for depicting ‘hot’ women being attracted to ugly guys in its commercials – In 1991 Richard Overton sued the beer company for, what he claimed, were misleading and dishonest commercials that depict a false reality where beer helps average guys attract attractive women. He claimed that the commercials personally caused him emotional distress and demanded $10,000 in compensation.
- Man sues Michael Jordan for looking like him – Allen Heckard is 8 years older and 6 inches shorter than Michael Jordan yet he claims that people often mistake him for the basketball great. Because of the intense emotional harm that these cases of mistaken identity had caused him, Mr. Heckard sued both Michael Jordan and Nike for $416 million each but the case was later dropped when he could not find a lawyer that would take his case.
These 5 cases are good examples of why attorneys are sometimes perceived so negatively. It should be noted, however, that many of these people could not even find an attorney that was willing to help out with their case.
Apart from clogging up the court system these cases can also act as a distraction from the serious cases that actually require the help of a personal injury lawyer. If you have been seriously injured in an accident and need help to get the compensation that you deserve from an insurance company, we truly want to help. Call us at Good Guys Injury Law for a free consultation at (801) 506-0800.