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The idea of lawsuits often brings to mind images of high-powered lawyers in sharp attire arguing their cases in formal courtrooms. The setting is usually intense, with significant matters of justice at stake.
However, some cases are far from serious. Take, for instance, the infamous story of a man who attempted to sue Red Bull for misleading advertising after realizing the energy drink didn’t actually grant him wings. He also argued that it failed to boost his physical or mental abilities, despite years of consumption.
Below are 10 more absurd lawsuits that have burdened the legal system over time.
10. Sperm Theft
In 1998, a man from Albuquerque took legal action against his ex-girlfriend, claiming she had impregnated herself without his permission. Peter Wallis, the plaintiff, accused Kellie Smith of fraud and violating an agreement by “deliberately obtaining and misusing his sperm.”
Wallis asserted that Smith had promised to use birth control but intentionally stopped taking it to conceive his child. This led to him becoming a father without his knowledge or agreement. He sought financial compensation, arguing that he would now be responsible for supporting a child he never wanted.
Smith’s legal team countered that the sperm couldn’t have been “stolen” since it was given voluntarily during a consensual act. They argued that it should be considered a gift, meaning Wallis no longer had any claim over it.
After learning about the pregnancy, Wallis proposed marriage and asked Smith to have an abortion. Smith rejected both proposals and chose to live with her parents. Despite Wallis’s claim that women hold all the power in such situations, Smith was legally justified in her decisions, leading to her victory in court.
9. McDonald’s Under Heat
In 1992, Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old from Albuquerque, was riding in her grandson’s car when they stopped at a McDonald’s drive-through for coffee. The coffee came in a Styrofoam cup with a plastic lid. Liebeck tried to take off the lid to add cream and sugar to her beverage.
She held the cup between her knees while attempting to remove the lid, causing the hot coffee to spill onto her lap. Her sweatpants absorbed the scalding liquid, trapping it against her skin and intensifying the burns. Liebeck sustained third-degree burns on her inner thighs and was hospitalized for eight days, undergoing skin graft surgeries.
When Liebeck sued McDonald’s, she initially sought $20,000 to cover her medical bills and her daughter’s lost wages (as she had taken time off to care for her). McDonald’s rejected the settlement. The trial revealed that the company had received over 700 burn complaints related to their coffee between 1982 and 1992, including cases of third-degree burns.
Liebeck’s legal team used this evidence to argue that McDonald’s was aware of the dangers posed by their coffee’s temperature and pursued claims of negligence. The jury awarded Liebeck $160,000 in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages. The punitive amount was later reduced to $480,000 after it was revealed that the coffee’s temperature had been inaccurately recorded.
8. Defying The Laws Of Physics
In 2005, Christopher Roller, a Minnesota resident, filed a $50 million lawsuit against the famous illusionist David Copperfield. Roller, who believed he was God, claimed that several magicians, including Copperfield, were stealing his divine powers and using them to perform their tricks.
During the legal proceedings, Roller told reporters that he would drop the case if Copperfield could demonstrate how he performed his magic without relying on divine powers.
After his lawsuit was dismissed, Roller attempted to patent the exclusive rights to use godly powers on Earth. He argued that, as a divine being, others were profiting unethically from his abilities.
Roller, a former US Navy nuclear engineer, claimed in his patent application that he became aware of his supernatural powers in 1999 when millions of spirits entered his soul. Unsurprisingly, the patent application was denied.
7. Victoria’s Secret
In 2008, Macrida Patterson, a 52-year-old employee of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, sued Victoria’s Secret after a metal fastener from a thong snapped off and scratched her cornea. The incident caused an injury to her eye, though it did not require surgical intervention.
Patterson claimed she was using the product as intended by the manufacturer. However, questions arose regarding the sizing of the product and the fact that it had been worn and washed multiple times.
Her attorney emphasized that the injury would have lifelong consequences for Patterson. While she sought at least $25,000 in compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and damages, her lawyer clarified that the lawsuit aimed to hold retailers accountable for the safety of their products rather than focusing on financial gain.
6. The Work Is Too Boring
In 2016, Frederic Desnard, a Frenchman, sued his former employer, Interparfums, for 360,000 euros, describing his extreme boredom at work as a “descent into hell” and a “nightmare.” Desnard had worked at the perfume company for eight years before allegedly leaving due to the unbearable monotony of his job.
Desnard claimed that the company deliberately sidelined him following the loss of a significant contract. After taking seven months of sick leave due to health problems, including epilepsy and ulcers, he was ultimately dismissed.
The lawsuit expanded to include allegations of workplace harassment by Desnard’s superiors, such as derogatory remarks and demeaning tasks like fetching their children from school. His attorney argued that “bore-out” constitutes harassment and that the company should compensate for the psychological distress inflicted on their employee.
The case was reviewed by a Paris labor tribunal. Although a decision was expected on July 27, 2016, the tribunal scheduled a new hearing instead of issuing a ruling.
5. False Weather Prediction
Have you ever planned a day off expecting sunny weather, only to be disappointed by rain? An Israeli woman faced this exact situation after relying on a forecast that turned out to be inaccurate.
Rather than brushing off the inconvenience, she decided to sue the TV weatherman for malpractice. Relying on the forecast of a sunny day, she dressed inappropriately for the weather, got caught in a downpour, caught the flu, missed four days of work, and spent $38 on medication.
She sought $1,000 in compensation for the stress caused and demanded an apology from the weatherman, Danny Rup. The TV station settled the case out of court, paying her $1,000, and Rup issued an apology.
4. Smelly Feet
In 1999, Teunis Tenbrook, a student in the Netherlands, was expelled from Erasmus University because of the smell of his feet. The university claimed his odor was so distracting that it disrupted both students and faculty, making it impossible for them to concentrate.
Tenbrook, who was studying philosophy at the time, took legal action against the university to regain his place. After a decade-long court battle, the judge ruled in his favor, ordering the university to reinstate him and find a way to manage the issue. It remains unclear whether he eventually graduated.
3. Dangerous Nike Weapon
A judge dismissed a $100 million lawsuit filed by convict Sirgiorgio Sanford Clardy, who argued that Nike failed to warn him that his Air Jordans could be used as a dangerous weapon. Clardy was sentenced to 100 years in prison for brutally stomping on a man’s face outside a Portland motel, leaving the victim in need of stitches and reconstructive nose surgery.
Clardy gained global attention by suing Nike, claiming the company should be held responsible for his attack because they didn’t disclose the potential dangers of the shoes. During the 24-minute hearing, Nike’s legal team countered that the sneakers were not defective and posed no risk of causing severe harm when used as intended.
The judge refused to provide Clardy with a free attorney, as it was a civil case. The judge also had to repeatedly ask Clardy to remain silent so he could proceed with the ruling. While Nike won the case, records indicate they incurred over $1,400 in court expenses.
2. Too Scary Halloween
Every year, countless visitors flock to Universal Studios’ renowned Halloween Horror Night, anticipating a mix of fear, excitement, and adrenaline. However, in 1998, Cleanthi Peters was unprepared for the terror she experienced, later alleging that she was attacked by a maniac wielding a chainsaw.
Peters sued Universal Studios, claiming emotional and physical harm caused by one of their haunted house attractions. She had visited the attraction with her 10-year-old granddaughter, and after being terrified by the chainsaw-wielding actor, both fled toward the exit. In their haste, they slipped on the damp floor, which had been misted by Universal to cool guests after their haunted house experience.
The lawsuit sought more than $15,000 for unspecified injuries and psychological distress. Universal opted to settle the case out of court.
1. Radio Station Prank
In 2000, Catherine McGowan, a single mother and manager of a local video store, called a radio station to participate in a contest promising a brand-new Renault Clio as the prize. Unbeknownst to her, the prize turned out to be a miniature toy car, leaving her both angry and embarrassed. McGowan decided to take legal action against the radio station.
The lawsuit led to the dismissal of Chris Constantine, the radio DJ responsible for the prank, for violating the station’s ethical guidelines regarding competitions. The station manager publicly acknowledged that McGowan had been misled into believing the contest was genuine.
Fortunately for McGowan, she won the case and received compensation sufficient to purchase an actual, brand-new Renault Clio.
