[Los Angeles] - Los Angeles Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) today kicked off "Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week" (LAAW) with the announcement of "LA CALA's American Idols of Lawsuit Abuse," naming the most outrageous lawsuits of the year.
LAAW is a nationally recognized event held October 2nd - 6thin which LA CALA and groups throughout the nation inform consumers of the human and financial costs of lawsuit abuse, encourage legislators to enact common-sense reforms to our legal system, encourage people to serve on juries and help ensure the legal system is used for justice, not greed. LACALA is inviting citizens to visit their web site at www.losangelescala.org to vote on the most outrageous suit of the year.
The American Idols of Lawsuit Abuse include the infamous case of the Portland man who sued Nike because he looked like Michael Jordan, the case of the couple who sued for "reckless and negligent use of a bathtub", the tale of the Lodi man who sued himself, a case in which attorneys sued apartment owners for failing to warn tenants of dangers of car exhaust and cigarette smoke from parking lots, the case of the man who trespassed onto subway tracks after a night of drinking and sued the city when he got hit by a train and the case of the widow who sued a Japanese-food restaurant chain claiming her husband died from dodging a shrimp tossed at him by a chef.
"Our American Idols for 2006 are impressive and shameful examples of excess and greed," said Peter Bylsma, executive director of Los Angeles CALA. "Lawsuit abuse takes resources away from those who need and deserve justice and in the end costs all of us money." Bylsma said that in dollars alone, the cost of lawsuits amounts to $886 for every man, woman and child in America , each year. This is commonly known as the "lawsuit tax" that is added to the price of goods and services to cover liability and litigation costs. It also affects the quality of life in a community, as well as access to and affordability of healthcare.
"Lawsuits against our cities result in parks removing equipment or closing, fewer police on the street, and all kinds of other restrictions on our freedom, not to mention higher taxes," Bylsma said. "Lawsuit abuse also stifles medical innovation and makes healthcare more expensive."
CALA is not alone in its concern. Several local communities including and the Los Angeles Count Board of Supervisors have issued proclamations in support of Lawsuit Abuse Awareness week. LA CALA made the announcement at a fundraising event today in West Los Angeles and is conducting radio and Internet advertising and promotions programs during LAAW.
Bylsma said part of the problem is that the civil justice system is more of a lawyer-run lottery than a system of fair and equitable treatment under the law. Too often, people abuse the legal system in the hopes of winning large, quick and easy cash settlement. Cities and other local governments are frequent targets because they are viewed as having deep pockets.
"California personal injury lawyers add to the problem by spending millions of dollars on advertising each year screaming at us to sue everyone within earshot whenever something bad happens" Bylsma said. "Unfortunately, this results in far too many lawsuits motivated by greed instead of justice. That has to change."
Los Angeles Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is a nonprofit, grassroots public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain. For more information, visit www.losangelescala.org.
LA CALA'S AMERICAN IDOLS OF LAWSUIT ABUSE 2006
BE LIKE MIKE: IN WHICH THE PORTLAND MAN SUED NIKE FOR $832 MILLION BECAUSE
HE LOOKS LIKE MICHAEL JORDAN
BATHING SUIT: IN WHICH A DENVER COUPLE SUED THEIR NEIGHBOR FOR TAKING
BATHS, ALLEGING RECKLESS AND NEGLIGENT USE OF A BATHTUB
LOOK OUT LENO: IN WHICH A NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WOMAN SUED JAY LENO FOR
MAKING A JOKE, CLAIMING LENO SAID ON THE AIR THAT SHE HAD SEX WITH DOGS
ME SUE ME: IN WHICH THE LODI RESIDENT EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF LODI DRIVING A
LODI CITY VEHICLE ACCIDENTALLY HIT HIS PERSONAL CAR SO THE RESIDENT SUED
THE STUPID GUY WHO HIT HIM.
MONEY TRAIN: IN WHICH A NEW YORK RESIDENT AFTER TRESSPASSING FOLLOWING A
NIGHT OF BAR HOPPING WAS HIT BY A SUBWAY TRAIN AND SUED THE CITY OF NEW
YORK.
CASE OF THE KILLER SHRIMP: IN WHICH A LONG ISLAND WIDOW CLAIMED HER
HUSBAND'S DEATH WAS CAUSED BY DODGING SHRIMP TOSSED AT HIM BY A
CHEF AT BENIHANA.
APARTMENT AVARICE: IN WHICH A LOCAL LAW FIRM AIMING TO CASH IN
ON PROPOSITION 65 REQUIREMENTS FILED SUIT AGAINST MORE THAN
150 APARTMENT BUILDING OWNERS AND THE RENTAL HOUSING
INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR FAILURE TO WARN TENANTS AND
VISITORS OF THE DANGERS OF EXPOSURE TO CIGARETTE
SMOKE AND CARCINOGENS FROM AUTO EXHAUST IN PARKING LOTS.
