Sometimes people develop a grievance, and that grievance turns into an obsession, and that obsession leads them to spending vast amounts of money and time on lawsuits.
The cases are often so strange they garner a lot of media attention, leading to readers sniggering at the apparent ludicrousness of the complaints.
These lawsuits, while surprising and sometimes entertaining, also highlight the diverse and often unpredictable nature of the legal system.
They also highlight how far human beings are willing to go when they feel they have been wronged.
Below is a collection of 50 truly strange lawsuits that have made headlines and left people scratching their heads.
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Man Sues Himself
In 1995, a man from Utah sued himself for $5 million, claiming that his own negligence caused him severe injury.
He asked the state to pay since he couldn’t claim the amount from himself.
Read the full story here.
Woman Sues McDonald’s Over Hot Coffee
In 1992, Stella Liebeck sued McDonald’s after spilling hot coffee on herself, leading to severe burns.
She won $2.86 million, later reduced on appeal.
It was presented in the media as the worst kind of frivolous legal action.
However, Liebeck was severely injured, requiring expensive medical care.
McDonald’s was condemned for its behavior during the case.
Read the full story here.
Psychic Sues for Broken Powers
In 2002, a psychic sued her doctor for $1 million, claiming a CAT scan damaged her psychic abilities.
The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Read the full story here.
Man Sues Beer Company for False Advertising
In 1991, Richard Overton sued Anheuser-Busch for false advertising, claiming their ads suggested drinking beer would lead to beautiful women and tropical settings.
He lost the case.
Read the full story here.
Kids Sue Mother for Bad Parenting
In 2011, siblings Steven and Kathryn Miner sued their mother for emotional distress caused by bad parenting.
The case was dismissed as the judge found the allegations trivial.
Read the full story here.
Michael Jordan Look-Alike Sues for Resemblance
In 2006, Allen Heckard sued Michael Jordan and Nike for $832 million, claiming his resemblance to Jordan caused him emotional distress.
The case was dropped.
Read the full story here.
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Woman Sues Haunted House
In 2000, a woman sued Universal Studios after visiting a haunted house, claiming it was too scary and caused emotional distress.
The case was dismissed.
Read the full story here.
Student Sues School Over Grade
In 2010, a student sued her high school for giving her a C+ in chemistry, arguing it hurt her college prospects.
The case was dismissed.
Read the full story here.
Man Sues Weather Channel for Incorrect Forecast
In 2008, a man sued the Weather Channel for giving an inaccurate weather forecast, claiming it led to a ruined outdoor event.
The case was dismissed.
Similar lawsuits have been launched, including one in Israel.
Read the full story here.
Man Sues Fast Food Chain Over Size of Napkins
In 2014, a man sued McDonald’s for $1.5 million, claiming the napkins provided were insufficient, causing him distress.
The case was dismissed.
Read the full story here.
Man Sues Apple Over Porn Addiction
In 2008, a man sued Apple, claiming his iPod led him to a porn addiction.
The case was dismissed as the court found no basis for the claim.
Read the full story here.
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Man Sues Date for Texting During Movie
In 2017, a man sued his date for texting during a movie, claiming it ruined his movie experience.
He sought $17.31, the cost of the movie ticket.
The case was dropped.
Read the full story here.
Man Sued Krispy Kreme For $5m Over Fruit
Jason Saidian, of Los Angeles, sued Krispy Kreme for $5 million because some of its fruit-flavored deserts did not contain real fruit.
He argued that if the description of a donut said “Glazed Raspberry Filled”, that donut needed to contain actual raspberry.
The case was eventually dropped.
Read the full story here.
Man Sued Company Over Boring Work
Frenchman Frederic Desnard took his employer to court because he got so bored.
Desnard took action against French perfume-maker Interparfums.
He described his work life as a “descent into hell” and a “nightmare.”
Read the full story here.
Jack Ass Sues Jackass
A man who legally changed his name to Jack Ass took legal action to protest against the antics of Jonny Knoxville and co on the TV show Jackass.
It didn’t go well.
Read the full story here
Man Sues Bank For More Money Than Exists on Earth
Dalton Chiscolm had a big vision.
Frustrated by what he deemed to be poor customer service at Bank of America, Chiscolm sued the company for $1,784, billion trillion.
This is actually more money than exists in the world.
If Chiscolm had been successful, the payout could well have triggered a global economic meltdown.
Find out the result here.
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The Infamous Wendy’s Human Finger
One of the most morally appalling lawsuits happened in 2005.
The scam carried out by Anna Ayala had a massive impact on Wendy’s.
Ayala claimed to have found a “crunchy” human finger in her chili at the famous fast food brand.
She sued the company and an investigation into the incident was launched.
Its findings were extraordinary and revealed a grotesque attempt to rip off the company.
Read the full horrific tale here.
Violent Criminal Sues Nike
Sirgiorgio Sanford Clardy is currently serving a 100-year prison sentence for a very long list of crimes.
One of his crimes was attacking a man while he was working as a pimp.
Rather than reflecting on his actions, he decided to sue Nike for not issuing a warning the trainers he was wearing at the time of the attack could do damage if you kick someone in the face.
Clardy decided the best course of action was to represent himself against Nike’s team of highly paid lawyers.
The judge didn’t have a lot of patience.
Read the full story here.
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$67m Over Lost Pants
There are overreactions, and then there’s the man who tried to sue his local dry cleaner for $67 million after his pants were lost.
And the man who took the action was a judge.
It all happened in Washington DC.
Let’s just say the decision didn’t go well for Roy Pearson.
Find out why here.
