US Judge Appeals Ruling Over $54 Mil Pair Of Pants

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:54 pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge appealed his $54 million (27 million pounds) lawsuit on Tuesday against the dry-cleaning shop that misplaced his trousers, shrugging off legal setbacks and international ridicule.
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Judge Roy Pearson filed a notice of appeal with the District of Columbia Superior Court, indicating that he won't abandon the crusade that has turned him into a symbol of America's lawsuit-happy legal culture.

Pearson asked his neighbourhood dry cleaners to pay him $1,150 when they misplaced a pair of trousers he brought in for a $10.50 alteration in May 2005. The owners of Custom Cleaners said they located the garment a few days later, but Pearson said the pair they offered him was not his.

Claiming that the shop's "satisfaction guaranteed" sign misled customers who, like him, were dissatisfied with their experience, Pearson sought $1,500 for every day that Custom Cleaners displayed the sign over a four-year period, multiplied by the three members of the Chung family, who owned the business.

He also sought $15,000 to rent a car to take his clothes to another cleaner for 10 years.

The judge hearing the case ruled in June that Pearson did not interpret the sign in a reasonable fashion.

A sympathetic public donated enough money to pay the Chung's legal fees, estimated at around $85,000.

Pearson, meanwhile, could lose his job as an administrative judge for the District of Columbia, where he hears disputes involving the decisions of city government agencies.

The city has warned Pearson it might not reappoint him when his job comes up for review next month, according to The Washington Post.

Pearson was not immediately available for comment.

This has got to be the dumbest lawsuite in the history of the US legal system, not only do I hope he loses but I hope he loses his appointment and is forced to pay his opponents legal fees.

Who is like God arbour · Post by **Who is like God arbour** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:28 pm

Well, if you consider that some people think that the German legal system is a field of activity for the scum of the Earth er... lawyers:

Cpl Kendall wrote:Well Germany must be a real paradise for the scum of the Earth er... lawyers then. If everyone has to go around watching everything they say I should immigrate to Germany and become an attorney specialising in libel suites. I'd make a killing provided of course that the German legal system doesn't have a system in place for throwing out BS lawsuites which you'd think they'd have or the courts would be in knots with this kind of crap.

Such rubbish wouldn't be possible in Germany.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:36 pm

Well respect +1 for Germany's legal system then.

Who is like God arbour · Post by **Who is like God arbour** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:54 pm

Oh it has not earned a 1+. It has it's own flaws - believe me.

But in a German civil law, it is usually only possible to demand damages for material losses. Compensation for immaterial damage are the exception and very limited.

For a cervical vertebra whiplash injury caused by a rear-end collision accident one gets "only" 600 Euro.

Millions for a burned lip from a too hot coffee is impossible in Germany.

Socar · Post by **Socar** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:05 pm

This whole thing is outrageous. He's going to lose his appeal, no doubt about it. They'll slam dunk him.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:10 pm

Who is like God arbour wrote:Oh it has not earned a 1+. It has it's own flaws - believe me.

But in a German civil law, it is usually only possible to demand damages for material losses. Compensation for immaterial damage are the exception and very limited.

For a cervical vertebra whiplash injury caused by a rear-end collision accident one gets "only" 600 Euro.

Millions for a burned lip from a too hot coffee is impossible in Germany.

I take it you have government run car insurance and a scaled payment system for injuriies like they have in Britsh Columbia and a few other Canadian provinces then? We got in an auto accident while living in BC and my wife hurt her back and she got a payout based on what the scale said she should get. Easier then going to court but I'm not sure it's equal to the continued pain she has to live with.

Who is like God arbour · Post by **Who is like God arbour** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:49 pm

I'm sorry to hear that your wife has to life with continued pain.

The 600 â‚¬ from my example are only there to compensate the pain and the suffering caused by a cervical vertebra whiplash injury.

All other costs for medical treatments, medicaments, physiotherapy and loss of earnings are material damages and have still to be compensated by the culprit.

Beyond that, the culprit could be accused by the Public Prosecution Service for negligent bodily harm and miscellaneous traffic offences.

But the compensation for pain and suffering would be considerably higher if the victim has to suffer the whole rest of its life. But that has - as far as I know - never reaches the millions.

For example, the Higher Regional Court Braunschweig has judged that a 12 years old boy gets 350'000 Euro compensation for pain and suffering. The boy was medicated wrongly in a paediatric clinic immediate after his birth and is now mentally and somatically severe disabled. He is spastically lamed, almost blind, will never learn to speak and will need for his whole life comprehensive care.

That's a hard stroke of fate and I agree that it my be hard to see, how that could be righteous. But all his material damages, all the costs for his treatment and medicaments, have to be compensated beside this compensation for pain and suffering. And all the money of the world wouldn't stop his pain and suffering.