Frivolous lawsuits
Recently I read a story about a young lady that filed a lawsuit against her university. Like a lot of recent graduates, she was having a hard time finding a job, and so she decided to blame her school. The story went on to say that she had filed the lawsuit herself, as she had not been able to find a lawyer to take the case.
It seems as though a bizarre story like this gets reported every few months. It hits the media for a few days and then goes away. No one ever learns the outcome of this litigation. I imagine that a case like this will be quickly dismissed.
The problem with these types of stories is that they distort the public perception of lawsuits in general. You see, hundreds of very legitimate lawsuits get filed every day, and the vast majority of them are never publicized. Because of this, it is just the wacky lawsuits that get the public’s attention. The public in general can be left with the impression that these types of lawsuits are the norm, instead of the exception. There is a real problem when those with legitimate claims get painted with the same brush as those filing frivolous claims.
When you read a story like this, take it with a grain of salt. It is being reported because it is out of the ordinary. Keep in mind that for every one of these frivolous lawsuits that are filed, hundreds of other legitimate claims are being pursued by real people who have real problems and real damages.
August 9th, 2009 by editor | Comments Off