Rodriguez v. Rodriguez
Wife of Alex Rodriguez petitions for divorce, saying the marriage is "irretrievably broken" because of the Madonna-linked New York Yankee's "extramarital affairs."
Ferguson v. CBS Corp.
Former employee of "The Rachel Ray Show" who has anorexia sues the producers, alleging a manager said "Anorexics are sick in the head" and "should not be able to work."
Troyer v. TMZ Productions
Pint-sized actor Verne Troyer of "Mini Me" fame files suit to block the sale of a videotape of him having "explicit sexual and intimate relations" with his girlfriend.
• Texarkana restaurant moves for summary dismissal of the case of a woman allegedly injured when she slipped on peanut shells discarded on the floor.
"Peanut shells, if any ... would be an open, obvious and unconcealed condition, and therefore, Defendant did not owe Plaintiff a duty to warn." Lange v. Texas Roadhouse
• Civil liberties group sues South Carolina for approving "an explicitly Christian-themed specialty license plate" that "not only improperly advances and endorses religion, but also discriminates against citizens of other faiths because it fails to provide a comparable expressive outlet." Summers v. Adams
• New York judge orders Google/YouTube to turn over user log-on names and IP addresses as part of discovery in Viacom's copyright infringement suit. "Defendants do not refute that the 'login ID is an anonymous pseudonym' ...
which without more 'cannot identify specific individuals.'” Viacom v. YouTube
• U.S. government files a motion to dismiss a suit against the operators of the Large Hadron Collider atom smasher in Switzerland. "Plaintiffs’ allegations ... are not accepted by the scientific community, are not based on rigorous scientific analysis, and are unfounded."
• Nebraska Supreme Court rules that a woman cannot seek a court order compelling her ex-husband to have a physical examination so she can take out an insurance policy on his life as security for his alimony obligations. "Such an order would have violated this state’s public policy of requiring
an insured’s consent to a policy on his or her life." Davis v. Davis
• Kansas woman sues the Wild Oats organic grocery chain for selling her a defective "ear candle" that she used in an alternative medicine procedure. Anne Danaher's ear candling resulted in "severe conductive hearing loss," the complaint says.
• Pennsylvania appeals court finds that a will written on the cardboard panel of a cigarette carton is not valid. The will "lacked both a positive disposition of property and the testamentary intent of the decedent." In re: Estate of Shelly
• New York judge dismisses a defamation suit filed by a former New York Post gossip columnist against billionaire investor Ron Burkle and Burkle friends Bill and Hillary Clinton. The complaint "can most accurately be described as a political diatribe drawn by Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch, Inc., an avowed enemy of the Clintons."
Stern v. Burkle
• Fox News employee sues the landlord of the network's New York headquarters for "allowing plaintiff's workspace to become infested with bed bugs," causing her to "sustain serious injuries and to have suffered pain, shock [and] mental anguish." Clark v. Beacon Capital Partners
SUV Crash Victim Says Award Against Sister 'Retarded'
A Washington state woman who sued Ford Motor over her injuries in an SUV rollover accident isn't exactly thrilled that a jury cleared the automaker –- and awarded her $6 million in damages against her sister, who was the driver of the vehicle.
The October 1999 accident left Crystal Bear a quadriplegic and with a permanent brain injury. She was not wearing a seat belt but alleged Ford was liable for defective design of the Ford Bronco II's stability and handling systems and its rear seat belts.
The federal jury in Spokane, Wash., found Marla Bear 100 percent at fault for losing control of the SUV, in which her younger sister was a passenger. According to trial testimony, the car swerved when she looked over her shoulder to see if Crystal had her seat belt attached.
“They blamed my sister, and that’s retarded,’’ Crystal Bear, now 21, said after hearing the March 11 verdict.
Even Ford’s lead attorney had said in his closing argument that if the jury found any liability, it should blame his client, not Marla Bear. “You shouldn’t brand her with her sister’s injuries,’’ Donald H. Dawson said. "I say that even if it hurts my client."
The award includes $5,555,511 in future economic damages, $344,488 in past economic damages and $115,200 for pain and suffering. Crystal Bear had asked the jury for $30 million and her attorney said Marla Bear's insurance would not cover the award.
“The cold reality of this jury verdict is that neither Crystal nor her attorneys will get a single penny because of the very limited insurance that Marla had at the time of the accident,’’ Richard C. Eymann told the Spokane Spokesman-Review newspaper. “Now, the taxpayers will have to pick up the costs of supporting this woman for the rest of her life.’’
Ford, of course, is no stranger to SUV rollover cases -– last week, a California appeals court affirmed its earlier ruling awarding $82.6 million to a paraplegic who claimed faulty design caused a Ford Explorer, which replaced the Bronco II, to crash.
“Ford knew that the short wheel base, narrow track width, and high center of gravity [of the Bronco II] would combine to cause the Bronco II to rollover more easily than other more stable passenger vehicles,” Crystal Bear said in her complaint.
The 1984 Bronco that Marla Bear, who was 16 at the time, was driving drifted briefly onto the shoulder of a highway near her Rice, Wash., home before plunging down an embankment, rolling over two or three times and ending up in a field.
Crystal, who was ejected from the vehicle, told the jury she didn’t immediately buckle-up because the seat belt receiver was broken and had slid under the seat cushion where it wasn’t easily accessible. Under Washington state law, she had to name her sister as a co-defendant.
“We agree with the jury that it is unfair to blame Ford for this tragic accident which was caused by driver distraction,’’ a Ford spokeswoman said.
An obese Arkansas jail inmate has dropped his prisoner rights suit alleging jail officials serve meals so low in calories that he has been losing weight. more
Church Not Liable for 'Laying Hands' on Teen
Ruling against a woman who sued members of a church for assault, the Texas Supreme Court has effectively insulated religious organizations from liability for intentional abuse as long as they raise their beliefs as a defense. more
Judge Keeps Court Open in Celebrity Divorce
A ruling in the divorce case of former supermodel Christie Brinkley is an encouraging sign that judges are not going to use the rapid information flow of the digital age as an excuse to close court proceedings.
more
N.Y. Woman Loses Suit over Affair with Rabbi
New York’s highest court has set the bar prohibitively high for proving certain civil cases against predatory clergy by ruling that a woman cannot sue a rabbi who had an affair with her because she was not “uniquely vulnerable and incapable of self-protection." more
"Parrot Fever" Death Tests Products Law
The family of a Texas man who allegedly died of a disease contracted from a sick cockatiel has sued PetSmart for wrongful death, but the fate of similar cases around the country suggests their products liability theory will not fly.
more
"Naked Cowboy" Wins Duel with Candy Cowboy
A ruling in a trademark infringement case filed by a New York street entertainer who performs as “The Naked Cowboy” is another indication that judges may be taking parodies too seriously when the parody conveys a commercial message. more
Unsafe Undies? Thongs Ain't What Used to Be
A rash of product liability lawsuits has hit Victoria's Secret, with plaintiffs alleging they were injured by defectively designed underwear. more
Eye Doctor Blamed for Fatal Fall After Dilation
The son of a Kansas woman has filed what may be the first wrongful-death lawsuit involving an eye procedure, alleging her optometrist caused the injuries she suffered in a fall by failing to provide her with protective sunglasses after a pupil dilation. more
Stripper Sues Club for Letting Her Drive Drunk
An Alabama strip club's practice of encouraging dancers to have customers buy them drinks could make it liable for the injuries of a dancer who wrecked her car after leaving the club in a “highly intoxicated” state.
more
Judge Dumps Suit over 'Servile' Coffee-Making
An office worker who claimed two male managers reduced her to the stereotypical role of “subservient female” by demanding that she serve them coffee was not the subject of a hostile work environment, a Philadelphia judge has ruled.
more
Grant v. NASCAR Subject: Racial Discrimination Document: Complaint
Davis v. Johnny Rotten Subject: Reality Show Assault Document: Complaint
Smith v. Thomas Subject: Harry Potter Discrimination Document: Complaint
In re Sara Steed Subject: Polygamy Church Document: Opinion
Laura Boyce v. Rob Lowe Subject: Sexual Harassment Document: Cross Complaint
