HAUNTED BY LITIGATION

-This Year’s Scariest Lawsuits-

Halloween is just around the corner, and for the seventh year, Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is unmasking its list of this year’s scariest lawsuits, all of “witch” are sure to give you the willies.

“Lawsuit abuse can be frightening,” said Don Wolfe, president of Silicon Valley CALA.  “Even when frivolous lawsuits are eventually dismissed, it still costs the court valuable time and wastes taxpayer money.”

This year’s scariest lawsuits are:

Ø      It came from beneath the “C” – An eighth-grade student in Fresno filed a lawsuit against her teacher and school district for an unfair “C” in physical education.  In addition to asking the judge to order the grade changed, the lawsuit is also seeking unspecified financial damages.  (Fresno Bee, April 16, 2004)

Ø      A Class Action for Vampires - A law firm filed a lawsuit against sunscreen makers for allegedly exaggerating how well their products protect against the sun’s rays. The lawsuit claims that the sunscreens don’t block all UVA rays, even though the sunscreens comply with Food and Drug Administration rules.  (Associated Press , March 31, 2006)  

Ø      Killer Chicken – A consumer group filed a lawsuit against Kentucky “Fried” Chicken (KFC) seeking to end the restaurant chain’s use of partially hydrogenated oil in fried chicken and other dishes, even though all KFC products are safe to eat and meet or exceed all government regulations.  (Los Angeles Times , June 14, 2006)  

Ø      Diving Boards of Doom – - Diving boards in community swimming pools across the country are being “lost to lawsuits.” Communities can no longer afford to pay the liability insurance for diving boards and most pool-construction companies won’t even install the boards anymore out of fear of lawsuits. ( Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2006

Ø      Taco Bell Terror – A Florida woman sued Taco Bell for more than $15,000 after her leg was burned when she spilled breadstick sauce on it. The suit claimed “Taco Bell should have warned her that the sauce was hot and could fall out of the box container.  (Sarasota Herald-Tribune , March 21, 2006)

Ø      Possessed Post– – A Philadelphia woman filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service after she tripped over mail they delivered to her home and she injured her wrist.  ( The Crimson White, March 1, 2006)

Ø      Gambling Demons– A Texas man filed a lawsuit seeking to regain $7 million he lost gambling. The suit claimed that a major drug company was liable for his losses because the man’s Parkinson’s medication caused him to develop compulsive gambling habits. He also claimed the casinos where he lost the money were liable because they knew he was taking medication for the disease. (Oxford Press, February 22, 2006)

Ø      Hot Coffee: It’s Baaaaaaaaack An Oklahoma woman who was burned when she spilled her coffee on herself filed a lawsuit against Burger King claiming the fast food restaurant was negligent for failing to tell her that the coffee was hot. (Springfield News-Leader, March 7, 2006)

“When our legal system is used for greed instead of justice, we end up paying a ‘lawsuit tax’ in the form of higher prices on anything from toothpaste to healthcare insurance,” Wolfe said.  “These lawsuits sound funny, but when you realize what they cost us all, it’s downright scary.” 

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is a nonprofit, grassroots public education organization with more than 6000 supporters throughout the Bay Area region.  More information is available at www.cala.org.