2016 was full of all kinds of strange stories, but perhaps none stranger than the most absurd lawsuits of 2016.
Behind all of these ridiculous lawsuits, there is usually a ridiculous lawyer that agreed to take the case. Just remember though―not all attorneys base their practices on taking frivolous cases. Personal Injury cases are serious and should not be taken lightly! So have fun with these absurd cases!
Government Overzealously Sues Business Owner:
Howard Root, CEO of Vascular Solutions, was sued by the government for selling the Varilase Short Kit, a FDA approved device to treat varicose veins. It took $25 million dollars for Mr. Root to fight the U.S. Department of Justice’s criminal charges that he had illegally marketed the Varilase Short Kit. Root denies that he was selling the kit illegally and he had all of the needed FDA permissions to have it on the market. It took more than 100 lawyers in 14 different law firms to get an acquittal from a Texas jury.
The SAT Five Minute Debacle:
A typo on a section of the SAT left students with a possible extra five minutes to finish. While some SAT proctors allowed students the extra five minutes allotted in the instructions, some did not, which caused confusion some students and parents. To maintain fairness, the College Board decided not to score that section of the test since those skills were tested in other sections. The score students received on the SAT remained valid since the section was not scored. A mother and son are suing the Education Testing Service and the College board, claiming they never would have sat for the test if they had known scoring would not be consistent. There has not yet been a ruling.
A Balloon Full of Hot Air:
Randall Krause sued the University of Nebraska for releasing balloons after the Cornhuskers made the first touchdown of the game, a tradition for more than 50 years. Mr. Krause was suing the school over the fact that balloons are harmful to the environment and animals, the school was already using biodegradable latex and cotton strings to be environmentally friendly. A federal judge dismissed the case in July 2016.
A Case of the $40 Craig’s List Printer:
In 2009 Doug Costello sold a black-and-white printer for $40 plus shipping to Gersh Zavodnik. Mr. Zavodnik sued Mr. Costello the first time claiming the printer was malfunctioning and missing parts. When that suit was tossed, he filed again and “requested damages for breach of contract, fraud, conversion, deceptive advertising and emotional destress.” After six years of legal proceedings, a judge entered a $30,000 judgement in Mr. Zavodnik’s favor for breach of contract, which was reversed in march. The appeals court is deciding if the case should be dismissed.
It’s for the Animals:
When a monkey takes a selfie it’s all downhill from there. David Slater’s camera was taken by a 6-year-old crested macaque named Naruto, who took a selfie. Mr. Slater claimed copyright of the photo and had it published in Wildlife Personalities. PETA enters the picture, filing a lawsuit in San Francisco, claiming that Naruto holds the copyright of the picture and should be paid all of the royalties. A judge threw out the suit on the bases that only humans can hold copyright. PETA is back at it claiming that it is a “high crime” that these rights aren’t extended to animals. Should the judge agree, PETA will take over the financial responsibility of Naruto’s money.
It’s About What’s Left in the Tube:
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has put a stop to a class action lawsuit against Fresh Inc. over lip balm left in the bottom of the tube. The plaintiffs’ lawyers claim that the company is deceiving customers into thinking there is still useable product in the tube when the twist up mechanism prevents it from being utilized. The suit claimed that Fresh was in violation of California’s Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, specifically they were trying to follow the growing trend of “slack fill” litigation. The empty space in packaging is known as slack fill, such as extra room in a bag of chips that is filled with air to keep the chips from being crushed. This case was thrown out because the lip balm left in the bottom of the tube is slack fill and the product label accurately stated how much product a consumer could use.
There’s Not Enough Coffee in My Coffee:
Starbucks is facing two possible lawsuits over their coffee. In one suit, plaintiffs are claiming that Starbucks is underfilling their lattes by a quarter inch to save money while short changing the customer. The other lawsuit claims that iced drinks are mostly ice. The suit claims that drink sizes on its cold menu are the size of the cup rather than the amount of liquid you get in the drink. So, in a venti sized drink, which is advertised at 24 ounces, only 14 ounces is liquid and the rest is filled with ice. The ice lawsuit has since been dismissed, while no ruling has been made on the underfilled lattes.
While these lawsuits are funny and ridiculous, getting injured through no fault of your own, is no laughing matter. If you’ve been injured in a car accident call the Denver personal injury attorneys at the Bendinelli Law Firm. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.
