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sue you, sue me

sue you, sue me

On the afternoon of March 3, 2000, Beatrice Booth, 83, was attempting to leave a Target store after shopping there. According to the $2-million lawsuit filed in Nassau State Supreme Court, she headed toward an entrance door that swung open as another shopper was entering. The grandmother of four was taken to Brunswick Hospital Center in Amityville where she died seven days later of a blunt force injury to the head

I think you know what happened next. The family has filed a wrongful death suit against Target, charging that - among other things - the doors swing in too fast and should be equipped with sensors so they don't hit people in the head.

So let me get this straight. They want the entrance door have a safety system in check so it doesn't hit the heads of people going out in the door?

The family also claims the doors aren't marked clearly and are confusing.

I have been in just about every Target on Long Island. I know these doors well. What more could a person want besides the words EXIT and ENTER labeled on the doors?

-STOP WRONG WAY!
-PAY ATTENTION, LADY! THIS IS THE EXIT!
-DOH! GO BACK THREE STEPS AND MOVE TO THE LEFT!
-OUT. RHYMES WITH GOUT.

I'm really sorry for the loss the family has suffered. But let's just call it what it is. Beatrice was not paying attention and went out the wrong way.

And if they did put sensors on the doors to prevent them from hitting some head-in-the-clouds poor soul, what happens to the person who is entering the door at the time and the door suddenly stops in its tracks so as not to hit another Beatrice and the person entering cannot stop their brisk paced momentum and smacks into the door?

Target ends up with a lawsuit anyhow.

The nonsense that ties up our legal system is ridiculous. I see it at work every day. Half of these "victims" belong on Judge Judy, not in the U.S. Court system.

Ladies and gentlemen, please take responsibility for yourself and your own actions. Your coffee is hot. Your knives are sharp. Take the Pop-Tart out of the wrapper before you toast it. Keep out of reach of small children. Hands and arms inside the car at all times. And for crying out loud, go in the in door and out the out door.

And keep your 1-800-LAWYERS buddies out of our courts.

(You can find a plethora of frivolous lawsuits at overlawyered.com)

Posted by on August 7, 2002 08:33 PM |

Comments

yeah. it's an unfortunate time we live in. the coffee's too hot, fast food restaurants don't let people know their food is fatty, you have to put DO NOT SWALLOW on EVERYTHING..
(like they're people out there have the bright idea to run out and buy engine coolant and drink it so they can stay cool in those hot summer months)

i'm waiting for some good ones though.
like scissors that have to have the imprint:
"DO NOT RUN WITH ME" on them.

or guns that have to have the imprint:
"DO NOT SHOOT PEOPLE" on them.

yeah. then you know we're REALLY in bad shape.

Posted by: datsum | August 7, 2002 09:08 PM

I'm suing you. The font you are using is too small and the line spacing is too close causing eye strain. I now have a headache from reading your blog. This headache will, no doubt, increase in intensity which will cause me to call in sick tomorrow. I'll lose a day's pay (maybe two or three); I'll will also suffer a drop in self-esteem because I now can't provide for my family (this makes me feel like less of a man).

You're going to pay!

Posted by: Mike | August 7, 2002 09:51 PM

yay for long island! I went to school in Setauket from 4th to 10th grade.

I remember a lady bringing a suit against McDonald's there after finding a rat tail or leg in her burger. Why not just ask for a new sandwhich? That is definately not worth millions.

Posted by: matt | August 8, 2002 03:04 AM

The Armour All wipes I bought to clean my car's dash have a disclaimer on the canister:
NOT TO BE USED FOR PERSONAL CLEANSING.

I hope it was added as a preventative measure by a paranoid (but sadly realistic) legal department and not because the company actually found that people have to be TOLD not to WIPE THEIR ASSES with ARMOUR ALL.

But you know which is more likely.

Posted by: E | August 8, 2002 05:57 AM

How about installing sliding doors?
My favorite product warning is for "Fisherman's Friend" mints: "not to be used as a substitute for real friendship."

Posted by: miguel | August 8, 2002 06:41 AM

Mike, I'm suing you for causing me undue distress within my own comments.

I bought these microwavable pretzels. They come one in a package and each package has a cardboard backing. On the piece of cardboard is a huge red stop sign with the words "STOP. DO NOT EAT" printed on them.

Either we are a very stupid society or we are a very litigous society.

Or a combination of both.

Posted by: michele | August 8, 2002 06:51 AM

I had to join in on this one. Personally, it is my firm believe that if you eat the cardboard, wipe you ass with Armour All or drink engine coolant and die, you are doing all of us a favor by removing your idiotic self from this Earth. It's called thinning the herd. There should be a test before filing a law suit. Should the subject of the law suit known better (would a two year old have known better)? Yes? No law suit!

Posted by: Lora Lynne | August 8, 2002 10:19 AM

My vote's on stupid.

Posted by: Fredo | August 8, 2002 11:22 AM

There was that case where a couple of guys used a toxic product indoors even though it said, on the product, "DO NOT USE INDOOORS". They sued. And won.
The lawyers are winning.

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