Only in America: Downfall of a nation due to Lawyers

[Ripsnort]

By RANDY KENNER
Scripps Howard News Service
November 22, 2000

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A lawyer for a local McDonald's has filed court papers stating that its
pickles are harmless and did not burn a local woman's chin.

MAR Inc., owner of McDonald's restaurants in the Knoxville area, made the statement in its
answer to a $125,000 lawsuit filed against it earlier this year by a woman who claimed she
was burned by a hot pickle.

MAR filed its answer earlier this month in Knox County Circuit Court in response to a
personal injury lawsuit filed in October by Veronica M. Martin and her husband Darrin which
claims she was injured by a pickle on a small McDonald's hamburger.

Specifically, Martin contends that her husband and she purchased several small hamburgers
Oct. 6, 1999, at one of MAR's McDonald's.

When she began to eat one of the burgers, according to the lawsuit, a hot pickle fell from
the hamburger onto her chin, causing a second-degree burn that has left a permanent scar.

The couple claim the hamburger was "in a defective condition or unreasonably dangerous to
the general consumer," in addition to breaching an implied warranty that it was safe.

In its answer, MAR Inc. said that its products are safe and flatly denied that Mrs. Martin
was injured by anything she bought from McDonald's.

The two-page answer also denies that the pickle caused a second-degree burn to Martin
and denies she has incurred medical bills, lost wages or suffered mental and physical pain
as a result of eating the hamburger.

It also denies that Martin has been deprived of the "services and consortium" of his wife because of the alleged injury.

[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 11-22-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 11-22-2000).]

[Dowding]

OMG.

I'm all for people having access to justice when negligence has caused severe pain/distress, but really...

...a hot pickle?

[Fishu]

What was in the pickle is the question?
did it have a hot coin in it or what...
that would be quite good slicing then.

I've even heard of lawsuits because of hot coffee that has caused burn injures.
At least I would feel if mug would be burnin hot and at least feel it hot on my lips before drinking it down....

I guess someones hurts themself on purpose just to get lawsuit going on and then get rich.

[LJK Raubvogel]

What an outrage! These pickles must be stopped!    

------------------
LJK_Raubvogel
LuftJägerKorps

[StSanta]

Not to slam yer judicial system, but it does seem a little odd.

Either you have personal responsibility and freedom, and have it the way it is...

or you fix it  .

Make the loser pay for the cost of the trial, that'd help  



------------------
StSanta
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
while(!bishRookQueue.isEmpty() && loggedOn()){
30mmDeathDIEDIEDIE(bishRookQueue.removeFront());
System.out.println("LW pilots are superior");
myPlane.performVictoryRoll();
}

[Yeager]

Ahh hell... a little love juice on the chin will heal that bad muther right up!

Yeager

[Snoopi]

Yuck......

Just like the hot coffee fiasco.

1) coffee is hot
2) you can spill coffee

Hence if you spill hot coffee on yourself, it is your fault.

Let's say I step on an ice patch on a sidewalk, then slip and fall.
My fault I was not paying attention,
as far as i'm concerned.

What happened to responsibility for YOUR actions ?

"You can't put me in jail, it's my math teacher's fault I killed those 5 people."
"I'm a moron and can't use my brain !"

The lawyers ARE working within the rules.
The laws and regulations need to be changed.
The lawyer is the "GUN".
The idiots who file the suits are the problem.

A court costs for both parties should maybe  be payed by the idiot who initiates the suit ?
I agree Santa.

[bloom25]

It all just goes to show you that some people truly are "that stupid."  

Maybe McDonalds should just ask if people want their hamburgers cooked from now on.  Usually if something is steaming hot I don't try shoving it in my mouth for a little while.   Maybe McDonalds should offer to blow on your food to cool it off for you from now on.  Everytime I hear about something like this happening it just makes me feel sick...

My favorite is the warning labels that give you all kinds of great information like "do not eat" on boxes of rat poison.  Just some examples I've seen recently:

On a butter knife - "warning, possible risk of injury"

On a coffee cup - "warning, contents hot, may cause burns"

In a car - "... risk of serious injury..."

On a packet of dessicant (moisture absorbing chemical you use in RVs and the like) - "do not eat"

Unfortunately the above just shows that some people just expect the world to be 100% safe and if something bad happens it couldn't possibly be their fault.  




------------------
bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[StSanta]

Sick, ain't it?

And you still ahven't gotten a new president.  


------------------
StSanta
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
while(!bishRookQueue.isEmpty() && loggedOn()){
30mmDeathDIEDIEDIE(bishRookQueue.removeFront());
System.out.println("LW pilots are superior");
myPlane.performVictoryRoll();
}

[TheWobble]

ACTUALLY,

I once went to my local waterburger and ordered coffe and the handed it to me with a trey with all my breakfast and stuff and just as i got in in the car and sat it down in the seat next to me, i went to grab my coffe and the top ofthe cup just mushed in when i grabbed it.  The coffe was so damn hot that it had began melting the styrofoam cup!  Now if i had went ot take a sip and say the bottom melted out and given me deep fried crotch, heads would roll!

I probably wouldent sue but i would make sure that i had free meals at any waterburger whenever I want.

Never heard of the pickle thing though....

[-towd_]

the deal with the hot coffee suit was that the resturaunt had ben repetedly warned about having scalding hot coffee. and didnt change it .a inocent woman got severe burns  so they got their butts handed to um . tho whole story is usualy not what it first appeares

[Maverick]

Why would an "innocent" woman be putting something hot between her legs in a car that she was driving???????


<GDR>

Mav