Tag Archives: Lawsuits

Colorado Man Wins $7.2 Million From Popcorn Fumes

Popcorn

Nothing like a buttery bowl of popcorn and a movie, right?  This is no longer the case for Wayne Watson from Denver, who developed a lung disease similar to bronchitis after inhaling the fumes from his microwavable bag of popcorn he had eaten regularly.  Wayne Watson settled with Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., The Kroger Co. and Dillon Companies Inc. for $7.2 million dollars for the damages to his lungs caused by the toxic buttery smell.  He won the lawsuit based on non-existent warning labels for diacetyl, an ingredient found in popcorn that gives the snack flavor.  Diacetyl, is linked with certain health conditions and is found in popcorn, margarine, and many baked goods.  It is even sometimes used to for bug repellent, good thing we are eating it.

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Hot Coffee, Tort Reform & the Civil Justice System

Hot coffee

 I recently saw a documentary, Hot Coffee. It discusses the idea of tort reform and bogus lawsuits. When one thinks of frivolous lawsuits, the case of Liebeck v. McDonald’s comes to mind.  Stella Liebeck went to McDonald’s with her son.  She was the passenger. After purchasing her coffee in the drive-thru, her son parked the car.  Stella placed the coffee between her legs while she took off the lid.  The 180 degree coffee spilled on her cotton pants absorbing it through the skin. The result was severe 3rd degree burns. Look up pictures and you will be shocked at the damage. The trial uncovered hundreds of past cases and proved that there was no reason to hold the coffee at that temperature. The jury decided to give Ms. Liebeck a few minutes of McDonald’s national coffee sales for her pain & suffering. That figure amounted to roughly $3 million dollars. The verdict was then lowered substantially by the judge; a power passed by the state legislature.

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Modern, Wealthy Family

Contract dispute

Several of the stars from ABC’s hit sitcom Modern Family have recently reached an agreement regarding their contracts at 20th Century Fox. As a result of violation of California labor laws the cast has filed suit claiming that their contracts could not last longer than seven years. It seems that the lawsuit served as a strategic ploy to have the actors’ contracts declared null and void in order to renegotiate new salaries.  The stars, who originally made around $65,000 per episode are expected to have their salaries increased to $175,000 per episode for the upcoming 4th season. With 22 episodes, that puts each star’s yearly earning at $3.85 million.

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Madonna Flashes Swastikas Over FN President’s Face

A pop icon

Is anyone even surprised by Madonna’s escapades anymore?  At the age of 53, she still has the power to offend and insult pretty much anyone that steps in her path, including the president of France’s National Front Party, Marine Le Pen.  On July 14, Madonna held a concert for her French fans at the Stade de France just north of Paris.  To Le Pen’s astonishment and disgust, Madonna displayed a video during one of her songs, “Nobody Knows Me”, flashing images of political figures Pope Benedict, Hu Jintao, Sarah Palin (no surprise here), and Marine Le Pen.  Maybe Le Pen would have been honored by her inclusion in a Madonna concert, but the world leaders were depicted as Neo Nazis with swastikas on their foreheads.  This whole charade was Madonna’s response to Le Pen’s beliefs on Muslim immigration and their relations in the EU.  Le Pen wants to return to the Franc and put a stop to illegal Muslim immigration, which Madonna describes as “intolerance”.  Although Marine Le Pen has not taken action yet, there is talk of a lawsuit against the American singer for her onstage antics.  And, of course, she has demanded an apology.

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