Obese man sues fast-food chains. (1 Viewer)

[Yee-Ming]

heh, can we sue Ron and Parker for feeding our addictions to HT and DVDs? "Your Honour, because of these two nefarious individuals, I've been induced into blowing several thousand dollars on HT gear and DVDs I otherwise would not have purchased!"

To Quote the Eagles... "old Billy was right, lets kill all the lawyers, Kill em tonight"

Trivia: I've never read Henry V, but I'm told that this is quoted out of context: it's spoken by conspirators who want to launch a revolution, and they need to get rid of the lawyers, who would be the first to spot the conspiracy and raise the alarm.

 

[Francois Caron]

heh, can we sue Ron and Parker for feeding our addictions to HT and DVDs? "Your Honour, because of these two nefarious individuals, I've been induced into blowing several thousand dollars on HT gear and DVDs I otherwise would not have purchased!"

It wouldn't work. Big corporations like McDonald's have deep pockets. Ron and Parker are flat broke running this Web site! Even if you won, you could never collect!

 

[Jerry St.Marie]

I'm just curious. How many people couldn't figure out that sucking smoke into their lungs wasn't a little harmful when they started smoking?

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Where Tobacco lost, and lost big, was when it was discovered that they A) were not just making a product that was bad for you, but were purposely adding harmful chemicals to their product in order to make them MORE addictive, B) lied to the public, judicial branch and Congress about it, and C) targeting kids who could not legally even purchase the product.

I agree. Comparing this lawsuit to the ones against Big Tobacco is like apples and oranges. But still, 99% of the crap that happens to people is their own fault in some way, shape, or fashion.

 

[Danny R]

I still can't see it. No one (in either case) is pointing a gun to your head.
The CDC just released a study that says that only 5% of people who smoke are able to permanently stop smoking. Most can quit for brief periods of time, but eventually they go back to the habit.
Given that tobacco products have endevoured to make their product as addictive as possible, and lied to the public about it, do you really think they aren't liable? Do you really think someone can go up before Congress and lie their heads off and come away free and clear? The tobacco companies KNEW they were making a very addictive product, even intentionally making it more so, but they lied and suppressed any counter information that came to light.
How many people would have started smoking if they knew they would not be able to quit? Lots of people try dangerous things once or twice in their lives, but they expect to quit them later on.
Remember, its not that tobacco is dangerous or addictive, but that the companies in question LIED about what was in their product, and altering the cigarette to make it much more dangerous than natural tobacco ever was.
Philip Morris for instance, in testing their product, used tricks like placing tiny holes on the filter to dilute the smoke and fool machines that measure tar and nicotine.

 

[Alex Spindler]

I hope they counter sue for lawyer fees and court costs. All it will take is four or five completely bankrupt people to make this stuff stop. Then they will think long and hard about bringing suit against anyone else.

 

[Mike__D]

When I started smoking, I KNEW it was bad for me, and I've heard many people said it was addicting. But I just couldn't believe that. I couldn't see how it was addicting. I learned the hard way and totally blame myself.

The thing that pisses me off, is what Danny R posted, about tobacco companies making them more addicting and lieing about it. Would I ever sue them, nope, I'm not part of the sue-happy world we live in. But you know what, IF I EVER did, I wouldn't want money... no, I'd want them to HELP me quit using their product. They can pay for my patch/medication/gum/counciling.

Did you begin smoking before anyone thought smoking was bad for you? I'm thinking no- you seem young.

I'm not that young, I just have poor writing skills...

 

[MichaelG]

F you buddy. This is getting out of hand. How many more lazy people looking for free money because of there problems do we have to deal with?
I heard a story on the radio this morning about a minor league baseball player that is sueing his manager for bad advice! The guy could have got a nice signing bonus two years ago or something (when he was in H.S. and was drafted) but didn't take it. The signing bonus was a couple million, but now the guy is an average at best minor leage player and wants the money from his manager. If this law suit doesn't get dropped then you could possibly see every entertainment manager get sued in the coming years whenever an actor ends up in a crappy movie, since it could lower their value on the market.
Then we can all sue the lawyers that are involved in these frivolous cases for tieing up the courts so that people with legitimate law suits can't get their cases heard. I'm sure that's next.

 

[Tom Ryan]

I think the deal with the tobacco companies is that they specifically targeted minors with their advertisements of a highly addictive product. The vast majority of smokers start smoking before they're even old enough to buy a pack of cigarettes.

With the McDonald's coffee thing, I can't say that lady wasn't justified in suing McDonald's. We went over this in my business law class and it turns out that McDonald's made their coffee a LOT hotter than any other fast food restaurants, and all fast food restaurants heat their coffee up much hotter than a normal person would at home. The woman had the coffee in her lap in the car and it spilled when they hit a bump or something, but the problem was that it caused third degree burns. If the coffee hadn't been TOO hot, it wouldn't have burnt her so badly. So she was right to sue (there was no warning that the coffee was as hot as it was).

 

[Mark C Sherman]

And now there are Warnings on the side of the Coffee Cups.

 

[Eve T]

I don't agree with her sueing McDonalds. What kind of a dipus puts a cup of hot coffee (I don't care how hot..just hot) in between her legs and is surprised that it burned her when it spilled? Wellllllll hello idiot, you put something hot between your legs you might get burned. I don't care if it was hotter than other restaurants, this lady would be the first one to Bit@% to a manager if her coffee was too cold. Oh my heart bleeeeeds for her.
If you are stupid enough to do things of this nature I say you deserve every third degree burn you get.
My .02 cents worth.

 

[Mike__D]

F you buddy. This is getting out of hand. How many more lazy people looking for free money because of there problems do we have to deal with?

Is this directed to me or the person suing FF places?

 

[Julian Lalor]

With the McDonald's coffee thing, I can't say that lady wasn't justified in suing McDonald's.

Actually, on the facts of this case you're probably right, particularly given McDonalds attitude. It just sounds so damn ridiculous and her damages payment was vulgar - although she didn't actually want to sue and would have settled for payment of hospital bills.

 

[Yee-Ming]

. It just sounds so damn ridiculous and her damages payment was vulgar

I'm told by an American lawyer that her initial damages award (in the millions, about 4?) was substantially reduced on appeal. don't know the details though, just something I vaguely remember from a conversation I had several years ago when I was commenting on the ridiculous quantum of damages awarded in the US.
anyone recall the lawsuit filed by a high school student against her date when he stood her up for the prom? she claimed cost of the dress and accessories, and doing her hair. at least that's what I remember reading in the local newspapers here.

 

[Tom Ryan]

Actually, on the facts of this case you're probably right, particularly given McDonalds attitude. It just sounds so damn ridiculous and her damages payment was vulgar - although she didn't actually want to sue and would have settled for payment of hospital bills.

Thinking back, I think you're right...McDonald's wouldn't pay for her bills so she sued and won.

 

[Danny R]

I'm told by an American lawyer that her initial damages award (in the millions, about 4?) was substantially reduced on appeal.

The original award was 2.7 million in punative damages. On appeal, a judge lowered the award to $480,000.

The woman suffered 3rd degree burns that required skin grafts and a week's hospitalization. As mentioned above, she didn't want to sue, but McDonalds refused to pay her medical bills. They were aware that their coffee was served over 20 degrees hotter than competing brands and could cause injury, as they had settled over 700 claims of coffee related injury before this suit.

 

[Neil Joseph]

In response to the central story, I take both sides on the issue.

We must take responsibility when it comes to what we eat. many of us simply eat way too much fast food. It is common knowledge (is it not) that fast food in large quantities will lead to problems with weight among other things. We need balanced diets that, unfortunately, are becoming more of a rare thing these days, especially in North America, which leads me to my seond point....

The food industry simply must be better regulated. I think it is no great secret that the food indstry is working hand in hand with the "healthcare" industry, getting us fatter and fatter, sicker and sicker and sicker, while the healthcare industry sells us drugs to cover up the symptoms rather than provide us with a cure. In other words, both industrys are getting more rich while we as a people are getting more unhealthy.

Ever wonder why, in this day and age, with all this talk about low-fat this and diet that, that the general population is more overweight than ever before?

 

[Jeff Bock]

In other words, both industrys are getting more rich while we as a people are getting more unhealthy.

If everyone is so unhealthy, why is the life expectancy at
an all-time high?
Article
Why do people find the need to always blame someone else for their problems, instead of doing something to help themselves?

 

[Craig A]

I really like chocolate cake. I think I'll eat it five times a week. Then when I'm 50 I'll sue Betty Crocker.
As always, The Onion was ahead of it's time:
http://www.theonion.com/onion3626/he...pay_obese.html

HERSHEY, PA—In one of the largest product-liability rulings in U.S. history, the Hershey Foods Corporation was ordered by a Pennsylvania jury Monday to pay $135 billion in restitution fees to 900,000 obese Americans who for years consumed the company's fattening snack foods.

 

[Max Leung]

Following up: McDonald’s Lawsuit Dismissed.
The little girls mentioned in the article are probably obese because of genetic factors. A Happy Meal for breakfast followed by a big Mac at dinner is fairly hefty for girls their size and age...you'd figure they would be full enough to stop eating! Advertising alone won't make you any hungrier.
Ever feel hungry looking at food ads after a massive eating binge?