Frivolous Lawsuits in America,, How can this go on?

Question

In America there are so many frivolous lawsuits that are just plain Rediculous, The stella lady from NM is awarded a huge amount of money for spilling hot coffe in her lap while in her car,, sued mcdonalds,the list goes on and on, you can view this list called the Stella awards in my 360 and you would see just how rediculous this country is getting to be, Why does our people who sit on jurys let this happen? it is obsurd

Another guy sued an insurance company because he climbed over his niegbors fence shooting a beagle with a pelletgun and the beagle bit him and a jury awarded him money

Answer 1

LMAO, the land of the sued!
there was a question on here a few days back that said "I need a lawyer, my vet spanked my dog" sadly she had an entire story to go with it and she was serious!

Answer 2

I think that if a lawsuit is frivolous, whoever's doing the suing should be required to pay a fine. The judge should determine it's frivolous...like if a child gets hurt due to parental negligence and tries to sue the store they were in.

As far as that McDonald's thing...McDonald's had been warned time and again that their coffee was too hot. Of course people should know better than to put hot coffee between their thighs to begin with. Just not a smart idea.

Answer 3

I can't really answer your question. I have no idea. We all just want a little money for nothing, I guess, and we all want to blame someone else for our problems. We don't like taking personal responsibility for anything, for spilling something or for starting to smoke or for tripping over something, even when they are our own faults.

What's really sad is the state of health care is being affected. Many OB/GYNs are stopping practicing or are only practicing gynecology and not obstetrics because their insurance premiums are so high. People want perfect children to pop out every time, and when it doesn't happen they sue.

Answer 4

We think they're frivolous. Juries disagreed.

The rules of court in most states (and the federal system) already have provisions that allow a judge to dismiss a suit that is legally frivolous, meaning that as a matter of law no relief can be granted.

The problem is, where the law allows a relief based on contested facts, it must go to trial. That's the core function of the legal system -- to resolve factual disputes within the framework of law.

The problem is with the juries who vote based on emotion, not logic. But sadly that problem isn't limited only to juries. Or only to the legal context.

Answer 5

Well, the McDonald's coffee thing, when you realize that the coffee was heated to 180 degrees, 50 degrees above what the directions said to heat the coffee, that the styrofoam melted due to the excessive heat, and she had third degree burns which required her to sit in the hospital for weeks as doctors would scrape the dead flesh off of her to prevent necrosis, then regraft the skin, it kinda puts things into perspective.

She didn't "spill" it in her lap, she had it melt through the cup and have it "fall" on her lap. Don't let the media trick you with their one sided presentation of the facts.

Answer 6

First of all, who would get to say whether your lawsuit is worthy or not? Exactly who would you trust with that? there are mechanisms in the law to week out the truly frivolous, but I would like to see more judges sanction the attorneys and plaintiffs on the truly frivolous claims.

The lady from McD's lost all the skin on her crotch because the coffee was so incredibly hot. (Yes, even there!) I believe she had to have skin grafts. She asked for 50k to pay her medical bills, and McD's told her to suck it up. That's when she sued. McD's paid for their own stupidity there.

Answer 7

One idea that has been floated about, is the more professional jury system like those in Europe. I can't see it ever happening, but it does have some merit behind it.

http://baltimorechronicle.com/020205MathildeSoyer.html

Answer 8

Politicians make/pass the laws. The lawyers make the money from these laws. Most politicians are lawyers. The End

Answer 9

I do believe that your question has infringed upon my civil liberties and made me feel less worthy as a person. I am afraid that you are going to be hearing from my lawyer.

Answer 10

Too many lawyers.....not enough lawsuits. Judges don't dismiss enough of them (they were once lawyers too). Politicians won't make laws against them (most of them lawyers too).