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Our mission
•To limit expansion of tort liability
•To reduce lawsuit defense costs
•To speed resolution of lawsuits
•To improve fairness & certainty of
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Sign up for the free LRC E-News, providing supporters of liability reform with quick, concise reports of the latest state and national liability information. To be added to the distribution list, e-mail LRC Executive Director Dana Childers.
Loony Lawsuits
Their name says it all. SickOfLawsuits.com has compiled a list of the top five “looniest lawsuits” of 2008. And who says our judicial system doesn’t need common-sense reform?
5. Lap Dance Lawsuit
New York securities trader Stephen Craig is suing a Manhattan strip joint for “serious injuries” he sustained during a lap dance. Craig, who is married, alleges that a stripper employed by the Hot Lap Dance Club near Madison Square Garden swiveled and smacked him in the eye with the heel of her shoe during an early morning performance last November. The Associated Press, March 17, 2008.
4. Lost her Laptop and her Mind
A Washington, D.C. woman is suing Best Buy for $54 million because the store purportedly lost her laptop computer. Although the electronics retailer apologized, provided reimbursement for the cost of the computer, and gave the woman a $900 gift card for her inconvenience, she remains unsatisfied. She acknowledges that $54 million unreasonable but will nevertheless pursue the lawsuit. MSNBC, February 15, 2008.
3. Blonde-Turned-Brunette Sues
A Connecticut woman sued L’Oreal Inc., alleging that the company ruined her social life when she accidentally dyed her hair brunette with one of its products. The woman said she can never return to her natural blonde hue, a shock that left her so traumatized she needed anti-depressants and had to stay home and wear hats most of the time. The Associated Press, October 9, 2008.
2. $54 Million “Pants Suit”
Sitting D.C. judge Roy Pearson sued his dry cleaners for $54 million over a lost pair of paints, alleging their “Satisfaction Guaranteed” sign was a fraud. After two years of battle, Soo and Jin Chung, owners of Custom Cleaners and victims of this abusive lawsuit, won the case. Sadly, however, they were forced to close one of their three stores as a result of the costly and tiring lawsuit. Judge Pearson continues to abuse the system and is appealing the verdict. The Washington Post, October 23, 2008.
1. Wronged by a Thong
Macrida Patterson is suing Victoria’s Secret after a piece of her rhinestone-decorated undergarment, described as “saucy” and “slingshot-like,” was launched into her eye. Despite having received only minimal medical attention the following morning and laundering the thong several times before the incident, Patterson and her lawyer believe the lingerie chain is responsible for monetary compensation. MSNBC, June 19, 2008.
News from the LRC:
Big bills, big price tags
This week the Senate held a hearing on the trial lawyers’ pet bill, the measure to expand the state’s wrongful death statute (SB 6508). Lawmakers heard compelling testimony from the Attorney General’s office, the Association of Washington Cities and the Washington State Association of Counties regarding the overwhelming costs associated with such an expansion. Two years ago an actuarial firm concluded that a similar bill would increase the number of wrongful death lawsuits against the state by a whopping 80%. On Wednesday, the Attorney General told a Senate committee that he estimates that SB 6508 will cost state taxpayers at least $18.4 million per biennium. But that’s not all. Local government taxpayers can expect to be on the hook for an additional $2 million per wrongful death claim. Isn’t the state already in a $2.6 billion hole?
Another bill that received lawmakers’ attention this week was SB 6701, a measure that provides additional construction liability for any construction official involved in the construction of a new home or a remodel of an existing home. Considering that the housing market is in the tank, it’s hard to understand how the Legislature could consider a proposal which practically guarantees increasing the cost of housing. This short-sided proposal, along with a similar House version (HB 1373), needs to be put aside and instead all interested parties should focus on a solution that protects homeowners while at the same time not setting up a scheme to increase lawsuits and housing prices.
Just a few years after the legislature fairly and wisely agreed to lower the tort judgment interest rate (the interest rate a defendant pays on a judgment while awaiting appeal) from 18% to two points above the current 26-week T-bill rate, they now are considering undoing one of the few pieces of reform they have passed in the last ten years. SB 6764 increases the tort judgment interest rate back to the old level for all defendants, except public entities. In other words, government gets one deal and the rest of the players get another. Hardly fair. SB 6764 will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 2.
For a complete list of active liability bills so far this session, check out the LRC bill tracker.
Texas toddler may sue school
The battle over kids’ hair length has moved to a new level: litigation. After a Texas school board disciplined a child for violating school policy by wearing his hair too long, his parents have threatened a lawsuit.
No recession for trial lawyer campaign contributions
The LRC’s 2008 Tracking the Trial Lawyers report finds the combined contributions of the 10 regional trial-lawyer political action committees spent nearly $1.5 million for the second consecutive election cycle. This staggering amount pales in comparison to the whopping $7 million contributed by individual lawyers. Because of their ability to raise and spend money on political campaigns, the influence of the trial lawyer lobby now rivals that of the state’s most powerful unions and businesses.
Click here to see the complete report.