Over recent years there have been some very creative claims made against large business and corporations in the hope of a substantial financial return. With a rise in litigation funding companies and access to litigation funding becoming more readily available cases are only set to get even more interesting and creative.
Here are 5 past cases that were, to be honest, verging on the ridiculous:
Fantasy vs Reality : Overton v Anheuser-Busch
How can it be possible that drinking beer does not produce vision of beautiful women? This was the lesson learnt by Richard Overton when his court case against Anheuser-Busch got thrown out. Overton tried to sue Anheuser-Busch for deceptive marketing that caused him psychological and emotional distress, and all because drinking his 6 pack of Budweiser did not result in visions of beautiful beach babes. Overton clearly needs to get a grip on what is reality and what is fantasy.
Common Sense Gone Wrong : Rosenberg v Google
We all love Google Maps, but would you trust it 100% of the time? Lauren Rosenberg did, throwing aside every ounce of her common sense. When walking Google Maps took Rosenberg onto a freeway which resulted into her getting hit by a car. Not only did she try to sue Google but the driver of the car that hit her too. Surely we all know that electronic devices and IT programs are going to go wrong sometimes and that human intervention is going to be required. Rosenberg claimed that Google should have calculated the lack of safety on the route given by using its Street View feature.
Tiger Twins : Kellogg v Exxon
Tigers have been the logos of both Kellogg and Exxon (or Esso as we know it in the UK) for over 30 years. So, it was just a little strange that Kellogg sued Exxon claiming that their tiger looked too similar to Tony the Tiger who is the famous icon of Kellogg’s Frosties. Where Kellogg’s suddenly feeling threatened by the Exxon tiger? Apparently they became concerned that children would confuse the cereal box cat with the famous petrol station cat. Do you not think that they could have worked this out some 28 years earlier? This is what took away all credibility from the case.
Turn Over or Turn Off : Atiken v NBC
Well this guy perhaps has forgotten how to use his TV remote control. Austin Aitken sued NBC after watching an episode of Fear Factor that he felt was particularly grotesque, to the point of him vomiting and running into a wall. He claimed, as an avid watcher of the series, that there had been nothing aired before as bad as watching the contestants compete in the rat eating challenge. He claimed that it caused a rise in his blood pressure, to dangerous levels resulting in him being disorientated. The judge threw the case out. If you don’t want to watch something then simply don’t.
A Halloween Horror Night Scary? : Peters v Universal Studios
Have you ever heard anything like it? A Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios scary? That’s right Peters sued Universal Studios for their Halloween Horror Night being too scary. She claimed that the haunted house resulted in her suffering emotional stress which caused her to trip and fall. It would take Peter’s several thousand dollars to be relieved of the traumatic experience of horror actors chasing her and brandishing scary weapons at her. Perhaps she didn’t realise that haunted houses are supposed to be scary. If you can’t take the heat, keep out of the kitchen.
I can’t help but feel that litigation funding companies are going to be spending a lot of time researching cases that are simply not credible but then they just might find that one gem that bring in the big bucks.
Have you come across any litigation cases that are just a little excessive or clutching at case win straws?
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