The number of crazy lawsuits seems to be reaching a new high—in the craziness department! Three different law suits have lowered the bar for what is acceptably heinous enough to warrant a law suit being filed by the allegedly aggrieved party.
In March of this year, a New York mother sued her four-year old daughter’s preschool for a refund of $19,000. That is the amount of the annual tuition paid to the school which claims “to ready its young students for the ERB – a test used for admission at top private schools…”
The mother was not pleased when her daughter was lumped together with less-than-worthy two-year olds. In addition to the lawsuit for the recovery of the annual tuition, she has also pressed for class-action status to allow other unhappy toddlers to join the suit.
In August, an Illinois Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit brought against a mother by her two unhappy children. The now-adult children allege their mother gave them birthday cards they didn’t like, made them fasten their seat belts, questioned the prices of party clothes, and asked that they respect a curfew.
The kids didn’t get the $50,000 they were seeking in damages, but they have kept the lawsuit going since 2009. Their mother, divorced from their father, has had to pay her own legal bills to fight their inane allegations. The children were represented by their attorney-father.
In France, a man has been ordered to pay his ex-wife $14,000 because he failed to provide sex. Apparently, over the course of their 21-year marriage, the husband did not have sex often enough with his wife. A judge agreed that the wife could sue because “a sexual relationship between husband and wife is the expression of affection they have for each other, and in this case it was absent. By getting married, couples agree to sharing their life and this clearly implies they will have sex with each other.”
The husband claimed he was unable to have sex often enough because of “tiredness and health problems.”
Apparently, nothing is to menial or private to warrant a lawsuit being filed on behalf of those persistent enough to carry it out. Who is responsible for these crazy lawsuits? Should lawyers refuse to represent cases like this? Should the first judge to hear the case immediately dismiss it? Should the people bringing about the lawsuit be sent for counseling?
I wish I knew the answer, because I think the courts’ resources could be better used for people who really need to take this path.
