There are countless frivolous lawsuits filed against big businesses every year, and most of them are thrown out of court. There are, however, those insane cases that make the news and make our minds go loopy.
Lawsuits against big businesses began gaining popularity in the 1990s. It all began when an elderly woman was awarded nearly $3 million for being burned after she spilled a hot cup of McDonald’s coffee in her lap.
Since then, there have been numerous silly stories to tell concerning lawsuits against some of the world’s most dominating big businesses. Here are a few of those crazy big business lawsuits that are worth noting.
Excuse me, there’s a finger in my chili
Wendy’s suffered a lawsuit from a woman named Anna Ayala. She sued the fast food chain, saying that she found a 1.5-inch tip of a finger in her chili. She even took the story to the press.
When the local authorities began investigating where the random finger originated, the woman quickly dropped her lawsuit.
It was clear that she was up to no good and had most likely planted the finger herself. Talk about a personal injury lawsuit at its finest. This 2005 case set the tone for even more frivolous attempts to strike it rich.
Hey that’s my water bottle idea
A few years later, two Wisconsin men sued Pepsi for allegedly ripping off their idea for a water bottle design. The men claimed that in 1981 they had told someone about the idea, and fifteen years later, the Aquafina water bottle was released.
They sued PepsiCo, asking for a mere $75,000. The judge ended up granting them a $1.26 billion default judgment, but later allowed Pepsi to have the decision vacated. Due to “misplaced” paperwork, the case will have to be tried again.
Stress from work made me rob that store
A man robbed a gas station with a sawed off shotgun one night, and went to prison on a ten-year sentence. While in prison, he sued his former employer, the Department of Public Aid in Illinois.
The man contended to the court that the stress he suffered under the rule of his tyrannical boss caused him to rob the gas station. In the end, he was awarded nearly $6 million total in damages, back pay, and front pay.
Your beer does not make the ladies love me
Anheuser-Busch was sued by a man for emotional distress and financial disparity, because their beer did not bring him the success advertised in their beer commercials. In 1991, Richard Overton was asking for $10,000 to cushion his burdens.
Sadly, his case was dismissed in court.
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