You probably think you understand what personal injury lawsuits are all about. You envision a case linked to injuries or perhaps damaged property, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few more peculiar or unique cases from time to time that won’t fit into those two categories.
Here are a few examples of distinctive or idiosyncratic cases to help you understand the wider scope of personal injury lawsuits.
What Are Examples of Unique Personal Injury Cases?
Over the years, not all personal injury cases have involved issues like broken bones or devastating medical bills. The courts have, from time to time, taken on weird cases. Even more interesting to note is that several of these cases actually won. What are some of the weirdest that held up in court?
Hot Coffee Spill
One unique case involved an elderly resident of Albuquerque who made a trip to a local McDonald’s and bought a cup of coffee. She placed that coffee cup in her lap like she normally does to stir in sugar and cream, but this time the contents spilled over. The result was severe burns on her thighs and a lot of hospital bills. The attorney argued that McDonald’s brewed their coffee at higher temperatures than others. She was awarded $640,000 to cover some of these costs.
The Serrated Sandwich
Subway has been linked to healthy eating for some time, but there was one moment when the sandwich shop was in the news for publicity that no restaurant would ever want: a knife in their food. For unknown reasons, somehow a serrated sandwich knife got baked into the sandwich bread. The customer noticed it before he bit into the sandwich, so no one got hurt, but it was a disturbing case nonetheless. The man sued Subway for $1 million but got $20,000.
Bad Weather Forecasting
This one definitely sounds strange: a woman sued her local television station, claiming her local meteorologist was responsible for her misfortunes of the day. Her local weatherman had reported that it was going to be sunny out, so the woman dressed for the occasion. As it turns out, it rained that day and she got sick and missed work. She sued the news organization and won $1,000.
Stinky Feet Situation
Odd as it may sound, a student from a Dutch university was expelled because of the aroma of his feet. The smell was so bad that his peers couldn’t learn and his teachers couldn’t teach. This case happened in 1999, at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. The student, who was studying philosophy, fought the expulsion for 10 years and was eventually reinstated.
Why Do Strange Cases Sometimes Win?
These are just some of the strange cases that have been fought by personal injury lawyers, but there are many more. If you have a case that you think sounds outside the norm and are not sure if it could be successful, talk to a personal injury lawyer to see if you have a case.
Experienced Kansas Personal Accident Lawyer
Southwest Kansas personal accident lawyer Joseph T. Welsh, Attorney at Law has handled cases like yours. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, let Joe put his knowledge of the legal system and of how insurance companies operate to work for you.
Joseph T. Welsh has extensive experience with arbitration and mediation in and out of the courtroom. Contact his office today at (620) 510-5030 for a free consultation.