At times I am shocked by the behaviour of my fellow human beings. Especially when there’s money to be had. They scratch, bite, claw, and sue to get their hands on some cash. Here are a few actual lawsuits, filed by actual people, who believed they had actual cases.
Pearson v. Chung. Better known as the “pants lawsuit,” was a civil case filed by someone who should have known better. Roy Pearson was an administrative law judge in Washington DC who dropped off his trousers at a drycleaner. When he returned to pick them up, the pants had disappeared. Were the poached pants pilfered? No one knew. So Pearson did the reasonable thing. He sued the drycleaner for $54 million for the inconvenience and mental anguish caused by the misplacing of his pants. Pearson lost the case but only after four years of steering down every legal avenue he could. (Those must have been awesome pants. I only had hand-me-downs. If some of them had gone missing it might have been a blessing.)
Then there’s Allen Heckard, who sued basketball star Michael Jordan and Nike founder Phil Knight for $832 million. Heckard claimed to suffer defamation, permanent injury, and emotional pain because people often mistook him for the basketball star. “I’m constantly being accused of looking like Michael, and it makes it very uncomfortable for me,” Heckard said. “Even when I go to the gym I’m being accused of playing ball like him.” (I understand. I am often mistaken for George Clooney.) Heckard eventually dropped the lawsuit.
Elsewhere, a Georgia woman won a $161,000 verdict for walking into a ladder while staring at her cellphone. I kid you not. Video surveillance showed DeToya Moody was staring at her screen outside a grocery store when she hit her head on the ladder. Still, a jury found her only eight percent liable for her injuries, and a sign company was held responsible for the rest. I wish I was making this up.
Elsewhere, a Texas man sued his date for texting during a movie, claiming her actions “ruined the date,” and seeking the cost of the $17.31 movie ticket. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.
But a Florida woman, who sued FedEx after tripping over a package left on her doorstep, won. She sustained injuries and the case proceeded through the legal system, illustrating how companies can be held liable for the placement of packages that create a hazard for property owners.
Recently a study was conducted on a group of doctors. Half the doctors had never been sued. The other half had been sued at least twice. Researchers listened in on conversations between the doctors and their patients. Their findings were most surprising. The doctors who had never been sued shared one thing in common: They spent more than three minutes longer with each patient than the ones who had been sued. They were more likely to listen, to say things like, “Go on, tell me more about that.” More likely to laugh and be funny, their voices also conveyed more warmth and concern, and less dominance. There was no difference in the amount or quality of information they offered the patients. The difference was entirely in how they talked with them. In other words, it wasn’t the bad doctors who got sued. It was the unfriendly ones.
So, are we to be nice to avoid getting sued? No. As followers of Jesus we should be known as those who treat others with honour, respect and affection. We glorify God, build bridges, forge friendships, sow seeds of peace, and bring life. Proverbs 15:1 (ESV) says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Colossians 3:12 (NIV) adds, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
So, why not call a friend today and go out for coffee? Let your words be seasoned with kindness, grace and gratitude. Because you never know what lurks at the coffee shop. One woman sued Starbucks because they put too much ice in her Iced Coffee. Thankfully, the case was dismissed. The judge noted that the name of the drink itself should imply that ice would be present.
