Ridiculous lawsuit hits close to home
It’s difficult to make it through the week without hearing about a ridiculous lawsuit.
In Bentonville, Ark., a house burglar named Kenneth Lewis filed a $140,000 lawsuit because the owner of the house shot him in the arm during his attempted burglary.
In Camden, N.J., school teacher Eileen Blau filed a lawsuit for “severe and multiple injuries” after an 11-year-old weighing 90 pounds accidentally ran into her in the hall.
In New York City, Cedrick Makara filed a $3 million lawsuit against his company because his hand got jammed in a restroom stall door, reportedly rupturing tendons in his thumb.
Those are only a few notable examples from recent months. For a case a little closer to home, all we have to do is look at Wednesday’s edition of the Standard and the top headline which said, “Football coach sued for $20 million.”
The $20 million lawsuit is from the family of former Warren County High School football player Mario Pezzimenti. The coach being sued is current Pioneer football coach Gerald Tidwell, who hit Pezzimenti in the head with a football helmet last year.
By now, most of us are probably all too familiar with this unfortunate story. Tidwell, during an emotional halftime speech, picked up a helmet to emphasize a point only to have that helmet slip from his hand and hit Pezzimenti squarely in the head. The blow required Pezzimenti to have 10 stitches.
It’s a regrettable incident and one which led to criminal charges against Tidwell – along with a suspension from school and the football team. It’s also a case where rumblings of a lawsuit against Tidwell were heard from the very start.
After reviewing the details which have been made available, the fact a lawsuit has been filed is not surprising. Remember, this is the land of the free, and the home of the lawsuit.
What is almost laughable, however, is the amount. While we are confident being smashed in the head with a football helmet is not an enjoyable experience, asking for $20 million as appropriate compensation is absurd. That’s $2 million a stitch.
If nothing else, asking for an outrageous settlement only weakens the case. Instead of Pezzimenti being viewed as a poor victim who is out to recoup some of his medical expenses and maybe collect a few dollars for his pain and suffering, asking for $20 million does exactly the opposite.
Such a ludicrous request makes it appear the family is out to get rich quick. It looks like they are out to exploit a small accident and turn it into a million dollar fortune.
This type of behavior has become the American way. Forget about clawing your way to the top through years of hard work. Let a multi-million dollar lawsuit be your ticket to a lifestyle of luxury.