Consider Yourself Warned !

[O-ring]

If Renee Koutsouradis was so humiliated by the mere spectacle created by a bag check on an airport tarmac, why has she made herself famous by taking up a lawsuit thus becoming "Have Latex will Travel" for the world to laugh at?

She's gonna be rich..

 

[chepar]

Originally posted by King_Neptune

What I don't understand is how you hear these people getting these outrageous settlements for minor and/or silly complaints.
=-)

People with silly and frivolous claims often get paid something in a settlement because it is cheaper to pay them off than to defend the suit.

I work in an insurance defense law firm, and it disgusts me sometimes when I see some of the lame and ridiculous lawsuits that people file. Sometimes we have an insurance adjustor that will refuse to settle and wants fight the case all the way through trial on principle, but that is very seldom. Most often, it is much cheaper to settle with $50,000 than to spend three times that to go to trial. On the rare occasion that these people get nothing, it is really sweet!

Of course, this is all a catch-22 - you settle out these bogus and inflated claims, which encourages the practice to continue, because more often than not, these people are rewarded.

Unfortunately, the people with legitimate claims sometimes have a hard time of it, because of the cynicism that sometimes comes from the people looking for a fast and easy buck.

Wasn't the huge amount paid to the woman for being burnt by hot coffee at McD's a result of a jury trial? If so, that would be the fault of "our peers" and their infinite wisdom.

 

[Rockhound]

my mom came to visit me in Houston 8 or 9years ago and wanted to see an Astros game. I bought her and dad some tickets and we headed off to the park.

While walking outside the stadium, she stepped on a "diamondplate" access panel that was installed in the middle of the sidewalk. Slick as glass, the panel was an accident waiting to happen. Her feet flew out from underneath her, and she hit the pavement, splitting open her head and almost knocking her out (she was quite disoriented for the rest of the day).

Paramedics rushed her inside for treatment, mainly to stop the bleeding and assess her condition, then released her to us to take to the hospital (we declined an ambulance). While being wheeled outside by the paramedics, she even asked to be pushed over to the seating area so she could see "Them ballplayers playin' in this famous buildin' just one time".

We stopped a few minutes, to watch a little of the 1st Inning, then were escorted outside.

Later, when I tried to get a refund on my tickets, I was told there were "No refunds, under any circumstances".

Thinking this unfair, I called the Astros general office and told them what happened.

"What do you want?", I heard the annoyed voice ask on the other side of the line.

"I want my money back"

"Is that all?". He sounded doubtful.

"Well...." I started

"Well?" he interrupted, "I knew there was something else."

"Yeh. I think you ought to paint some non-skid on those metal doors. I slipped on them too, and several other people complained to us about the same thing."

"Non-skid?"

"Yeh. Paint with sand in it or something. You could probably mix it up with epoxy, prime the covers and then paint them with it. Call a marine store, they'll know what to do."

"Nothing else?"

"Nope".

"Nothing? Your mom has a lawyer, right?"

"No. She has insurance and she's doing fine. All the bills are paid."

He seemed very surprised. The next week, I had all my money back AND 8 comp tickets for prime seats behind home plate. Plus, when I passed by the metal covers, they sported a fresh coat of non-skid.

I talked to the office later to thank them for the tickets and for fixing the problem with the slippery covers. I was told that they were so used to getting sued over every slip and fall that the man I talked to was completely floored to learn that we just wanted him to refund our money and paint the access doors.

My mom passed away last year, and she never got to see a baseball game in the dome. That was my only regret.

We didn't need to sue anyone.

 

[chepar]

Originally posted by Rockhound

"Nothing? Your mom has a lawyer, right?"

"No. She has insurance and she's doing fine. All the bills are paid."

He seemed very surprised. The next week, I had all my money back AND 8 comp tickets for prime seats behind home plate. Plus, when I passed by the metal covers, they sported a fresh coat of non-skid.

I talked to the office later to thank them for the tickets and for fixing the problem with the slippery covers. I was told that they were so used to getting sued over every slip and fall that the man I talked to was completely floored to learn that we just wanted him to refund our money and paint the access doors.

We didn't need to sue anyone.

Exactly. If there were more people like you and your mother, Rockhound, I guess I'd be out of a job.

There are way too many people that inflate or exaggerate a simple incident with minor injuries into "I'm injured/traumatized/disabled for life". I'm certainly not against the person who is legitimately hurt and receives compensation for treatments and what else that are reasonable and necessary, but I just have to wonder about the person with the bruised leg claiming that they are seriously disabled for life and they suffered serious emotional distress as a result of the trauma, so they are entitled to $XXXXXXXXXXXX. (Note the number of Xs . )

My mother slipped and fell in the produce department of a supermarket (a classic situation) - she twisted her ankle and bruised her back and hip, but it didn't even enter her mind to demand anything from the store, much less suing them.

It's that whole mentality - it looks easy, everyone else is doing it, let me get in on it too. I often do intake on these people who shop their "cases" around from attorney to attorney until they find someone who will take it on. Many attorneys are good about turning away the bogus ones, but there are some (obviously) that are not.

 

[k4sdi]

To quote my wife,
" It's not a big deal though"

(say it out loud, kinda fast)

Mark

 

[wannabe]

You know if maybe just maybe she was getting what that tool was substituting in for a bit more she wouldn't be wound so tight to need to be suing Delta?

I can only imagine the insufferable wench she must be.