Friviolous Lawsuits
Here are some examples of lawyers gone "greedy:"
Jin and Soo Chung, owners of Custom Cleaners in Washington, DC, were sued by Roy Pearson, a lawyer and sitting judge, for $67 million (later reduced to $54 million) over a pair of allegedly lost pants. These small business owners had to close one of their three stores as a result of their two-plus years of battle. They won the case; Pearson is appealing.
A man in West Virginia is suing McDonald's for $10 million over a drive-thru order mistake. He's allergic to cheese and mistakenly got a cheeseburger. He didn't bother to check the burger before he bit into it. His mother is also suing for reckless endangerment for having to drive him to the hospital.
A woman in Michigan is suing the makers of Starburst candies because they don't warn consumers about the dangers of the candies being "too chewy." Her lawyer just wants to make sure others avoid this danger.
A New Jersey man is suing Starbucks because his tea was too hot and the Starbucks employee didn't put the lid on right. His wife is also suing for losses due to his injury.
Three Kentucky lawyers were ordered to repay $64 million they kept from their 440 clients in a diet drug class action case. Two of the lawyers took some of the money and bought a stake in Curlin, the Kentucky Derby race horse and winner of the Preakness. They continue to seek delays in the case. This month the judge threw them in jail until the trial in January, saying: "In my opinion, not only these three gentlemen are on trial, the whole legal profession is on trial in this case."
Wealthy plaintiffs' attorney John O'Quinn of Texas was ordered to repay nearly $36 million to a group of 3,000 women he had represented in a breast implant case nearly eight years ago. Many of the women reportedly have seen little or none of the average $12,000 per woman settlement.
As for Roy Pearson, he continues to pursue his insane lawsuit against the Chungs. In mid-August, he filed an appeal against Judge Judith Bartnoff's decision. The appeals process will take about 3-4 months. There is a chance the D.C. Court of Appeals will affirm Bartnoff's ruling, but if not, then it will be another 12 to 18 months before this case is decided.
Jin and Soo Chung, owners of Custom Cleaners, "continue to be baffled by Mr. Pearson's actions," says their lawyer, Christopher C.S. Manning. They had dropped their motion to recover legal fees as an "olive branch" in the hopes of ending what they have called "a nightmare." Manning says they are very "disheartened" by the process and are even considering closing their business "just to be rid of the memory of this case." Manning said that with his appeal, Pearson has chosen "desperate irrationality over common sense."
Pearson continues to say that he is fighting for all consumers, but it would seem that very few people believe that excuse. Since he wants to continue this stupid lawsuit, the commission that oversees administrative law judges in D.C. has sent him a letter expressing doubts about reappointment. His original 2-year term expired in April. You can bet he will lodge a lawsuit against the commission for not letting him stay as a D.C. judge.
He is making a mockery of the judicial process. He is hurting the reputation of all D.C. administrative judges. I hope the appeals court will end this madness and affirm the initial ruling. Then I hope the Commission boot his ass out of another judgeship. He does not deserve it.
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