The litigious society

Widow Maggie Smith and her two adult children won $1.2 million late in 2002 (reduced from an August jury award of $3.5 million) in their wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Franklin Price, having convinced a jury that Price did not do enough to help the late Lawrence Smith avoid his fatal heart attack. Mr. Smith, of University Heights, Ohio, was 54, overweight, a long-time smoker who ate a poor diet, got little exercise, had diabetes and high cholesterol, and admitted to being stressed at work; Dr. Price said he gave Smith repeated admonitions about his bad habits, but apparently not enough of them. [Cleveland Scene, 2-12-03; Plain Dealer, 8-20-02]

In Riverhead, N.Y., in December, Oscar Novick, 69, filed a $5.5 million lawsuit against the New York Dinner Theater of Manhasset for injuries he suffered when a dancer from the show (being performed on location at an Office Depot employee holiday party) slipped and fell on top of him during an audience-participation number. The bigger-than-he-is dancer had convinced Novick to step out onto the floor, where she twirled him around to a fast number, "bounced (my head) back and forth into her breasts," and "lowered me down into a dip," but then lost control, with both falling to the floor (Novick with a fractured ankle). [Newsday, 2-7-03]

Expensive Boo-Boos: Ann Laerzio filed a lawsuit against the Octavia Hair Design in Clinton Township, Mich., in February, claiming a shop technician nicked her finger with cuticle scissors (allegedly causing the loss of a nail) and asking for $500,000. And in March, Ms. Robin Laybutt won her lawsuit against her former employer, the Australian doughnut maker Balfours, because of a cut on her finger (which she now says makes her unable to use her arm for any gainful employment) caused by the alleged malfunction of a doughnut machine; she was awarded about US$240,000. [Macomb Daily, 2-5-03] [Sydney Morning Herald, 3-12-03]

In Riverhead, N.Y., in December, Oscar Novick, 69, filed a $5.5 million lawsuit against the New York Dinner Theater of Manhasset for injuries he suffered when a dancer from the show (being performed on location at an Office Depot employee holiday party) slipped and fell on top of him during an audience-participation number. The bigger-than-he-is dancer had convinced Novick to step out onto the floor, where she twirled him around to a fast number, "bounced (my head) back and forth into her breasts," and "lowered me down into a dip," but then lost control, with both falling to the floor (Novick with a fractured ankle). [Newsday, 2-7-03]
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OMG- during my soccer "career" i tore 2 ligs in a defenders ankle (he tackled me during a sprint ), broke two fingers (that goaly was unable to make a fist) and broke a rib (that goaly was faster than i had excpected ) if they had all sued me for 5,5 mio. i would have a 16,5 mio debt

btw: didn't know that Mr. Balfour makes doughnuts- thought he was more into declerations

america has too many lawyers thats the problem. anything u can possibly sue for they will take on.

when in tenerife my brother got really drunk (as we all were) and ended up cutting his finger picking up glass that he fot was ice. turned out he fractured a finger and im sure theres plenty of people who would have tried to sue the pub or brewery for intoxicating him but in the end it was his stupid fault and only his fault so y should anyone else have to pay?

smokers who sue tabocca companies really piss me off. u got cancer cos u smoked? what did u smoking done? it doesnt add years to ur life or make u healthy it destroys ur body and the only person whos putting fags in ur mouth is yourself.

i drink alot but it's me who makes me drink so if i die from drink related causes it's my fault not some company making a product.


i hate people who sue for really stupid things just to get rich quick.

you just made history Jim: we share an oppinion!!!!

lol

i just think saying "i've smoked for 50 years and have cancer as a result of your fags so i'm going to sue u" is alot of bullshit.

what about people who get cancer from no fault of there own? my girlfriends, mothers friend has just died from breat cancer leaving 2 young children and a husband who can't cope and has turned to drink because of it. where is there payout?

if you're going to do something that harms you or endagers your life wether it being drinking, smoking, doing drugs or even skydiving, u have to accept the responsibility that it is your doing.

What about the woman who tried to sue McDonalds for making her song fat? She said that they marketed it as healthy food, but it made him fat....when do they ever market fast-food as healthy?

It's the same as what Jim Bon Jovi said about smokers complaining when they get cancer.

These people must have the IQ of a wasp.

The people actually suing may have the IQ of a wasp... but blame it on lawyers who see a chance to make a percentage of the money they win for their idiot clients... see a legal system that does nothing to punish those who bring about frivilous lawsuits and tie up the judicial system... see people whose moral fiber is barely holding together by a thread as they look for a quick way to make cash. It's disgusting. Shakespeare was right. First kill all the lawyers. Dennis Miller is right too... if we did that, we'd have no fair representation in our trials so we'd get off.