Yeah, I'd say that filing a lawsuit for an emotionally traumatizing incident where you're stuck in a 4x4 cube for 41 hours through absolutely no fault of your own while several security guards notice you on the monitor and do nothing while elevator repair staff fail to check your elevator after all the others is pretty stupid, right?

It is if you consider USA is the only place in the world where that shit happens.
In other countries, shit just happens and most people would never even consider sueing the elevator company.

As a security guard myself, I am wondering what the FUCK was wrong with the security in that building and how they did not um... NOTICE SOMEONE WAS STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR.

I was trapped once, actually for an hour or two. I don't really remember it much at all, but I was with my mom and little brother, and we were both very young. The only thing I remember was making fun of him because he was crying and my mom slapped me. Eventually some dudes came and pried the door open and I think we were between floors and had to climb up over the wall a little bit.

I would have sued probably, but not for that much money. I'd have factored how much money I make per hour and ask that the elevator company paid me per hour of my time. I doubt that would have been unreasonable. Then again I'm the kind of person who probably wouldn't really be traumatized by something like that. It would suck not having water for 41 hours, but the close space and the being alone thing is the kind of environment that I usually prefer.

okay let me just explain this: he's not suing because of WHAT HE'S WORTH.

he's suing to PUNISH THE COMPANY.

see in America or in any large capitalist country, a large corporation or even a small one has access to more legal funds than the average citizen. as a result, it would be difficult if not impossible for most individuals to ever take on a corporation, without ruining their entire financial future as a result. this means a corporation can do something awful and do it over and over again, since no one can tackle them.

the large funds people sue for aren't for themselves; it's to HURT the corporate entity. if this man had sued for just his lost wages, the corporation would do nothing about their horrible elevator standards. the point is to make the corporation FIX ITSELF because nothing else will. this is why we have killswitches on generators and elevator standards to begin with.

you are trying to punish a corporate entity (in this case, someone who owns a fucking 40 story building, a floor of which easily rents out to half a million a month) and this is the way you do it; by making them feel the loss. if he sued for just his lost time, the corporation wouldn't care. people who sue tobacco or car companies for millions when a loved one dies aren't ever going to get their loved one back; they are trying to stop the corporation from making unsafe products.

if you've followed this, congratulations, you now know more about lawsuits than most of America.

to clarify obviously the people want money but the reason they can ask for such high amounts is the above. getting a million from a settlement is just a bonus in the legal system, it's about punishing the company for being unsafe.

he's suing to PUNISH THE COMPANY.
 

The problem arises when someone starts "punishing" a company for stupid shit.

Your water fountain doesn't have pressure high enough for a proper drink. LAWSUIT

I tripped over my own shoelaces while walking down your hallway. LAWSUIT

Your parking garage is too big, and I couldn't find my car for ten minutes. LAWSUIT

Your vending machine sells roasted peanuts, and I'm allergic to peanuts. LAWSUIT

This kind of frivolous lawsuit is the reason why the cup you buy coffee in says "DANGER HOT."  Of course it's hot, you walking ass sculpture!  It's coffee!  It's the reason those little packets of oxygen absorber stuff you find in the jerky or other merchandise says "DO NOT EAT."  Why the hell would anyone WANT to in the first place!?  This makes it seem like people have no common sense, which isn't true.  People are just greedy.

A co-worker of mine had back problems.  She was scheduled to undergo surgery sometime, but she couldn't pay for it.  One day, she dropped a pencil, and strained her back picking it up.  Rather than going through workers comp, she sued the company for as much as she could, which equaled out to about 40k.  She got her surgery, in addition to a new truck.  Today, she still gloats about her victory.

This elevator incident seems to be a proper lawsuit though.  They should install emergency phones in those things.

The problem arises when someone starts "punishing" a company for stupid shit.

Your water fountain doesn't have pressure high enough for a proper drink. LAWSUIT

I tripped over my own shoelaces while walking down your hallway. LAWSUIT

Your parking garage is too big, and I couldn't find my car for ten minutes. LAWSUIT

Your vending machine sells roasted peanuts, and I'm allergic to peanuts. LAWSUIT

This kind of frivolous lawsuit is the reason why the cup you buy coffee in says "DANGER HOT."  Of course it's hot, you walking ass sculpture!  It's coffee!  It's the reason those little packets of oxygen absorber stuff you find in the jerky or other merchandise says "DO NOT EAT."  Why the hell would anyone WANT to in the first place!?  This makes it seem like people have no common sense, which isn't true.  People are just greedy.

A co-worker of mine had back problems.  She was scheduled to undergo surgery sometime, but she couldn't pay for it.  One day, she dropped a pencil, and strained her back picking it up.  Rather than going through workers comp, she sued the company for as much as she could, which equaled out to about 40k.  She got her surgery, in addition to a new truck.  Today, she still gloats about her victory.

This elevator incident seems to be a proper lawsuit though.  They should install emergency phones in those things.

the stella liebeck case (or coffee is hot) is far more controversial than that coffee is hot (the woman was given third degree burns on her genitals from a small spill of coffee and they were disobeying regulations to keep it that hot) and frivolous lawsuits are far from prevalent. I don't know your coworker's situation but I'm willing to bet 40k was the settlement in which case it was the company's choice not to pursue the lawsuit (because if its that simple of a case anyone could win it).

no one sues for millions on really frivolous lawsutis, you have to be severely physically injured or incapacitated or killed.

I made those cases up off the top of my head as examples of the kind of shit you hear about.  Though, yeah, the media plays a big part in dumbing down the finer points of a case.

This is one that I had heard before so it works for me. A burglar falls through the roof and is injured. He sues and wins.

This is an extremely well-known case, and probably the quintessential example of frivolous lawsuits in America.  Most people (Myself included.) took it at face value.  Though after seeing the details, it's a lot grayer than expected.

I have newfound faith in our justice system.  Thank you.

am i missing something, or did he go without bathroom usage... or rather... NEED of bathroom usage during those two day??

i think that's why the elevator door was opened so much.

okay let me just explain this: he's not suing because of WHAT HE'S WORTH.

he's suing to PUNISH THE COMPANY.

etc

Yes and that's pretty stupid.

Companies fuck up and I wouldn't want to punish them for that, I'd just ask for what I deserve and frankly don't give a shit about THEY GOT WHATS COMIN TO 'EM. Maybe I am just an easygoing guy or something. Plus trying to take on a big company isn't always smart since corporate america always wins. Heh heh heh.

Yes and that's pretty stupid.

Companies fuck up and I wouldn't want to punish them for that, I'd just ask for what I deserve and frankly don't give a shit about THEY GOT WHATS COMIN TO 'EM. Maybe I am just an easygoing guy or something. Plus trying to take on a big company isn't always smart since corporate america always wins. Heh heh heh.

are you completely insane?

MISTAKES.

do you know why McDonalds provides special toys for kids under a certain age? children were dying because they choked on the toys with little parts. do you understand why those mass tort law appeals say "sign up if you took this drug"? because it gives you cancer and is killing people. do you know why this guy sued a company? because if it wasn't for the luck of someone hearing him, he would have died. it could have been worse if he had not eaten or drank.

a corporation doesn't feel the loss of two days of wages. that means nothing to them. the reason you sue for more is because then they don't do it AGAIN. until Stella Liebeck's case, there were hundreds of McDonalds lawsuits where the coffee was giving people 3rd degree burns (which can be FATAL and in Mrs. Liebeck's case, burned her through her clothes). now they cannot give you coffee so hot that if you spill it on your kid you will scar them for life, because of the victory of the case. that's the point of class actions; to make them actually realize people will not tolerate being stuck in an elevator for 41 hours and that kind of shitty maintenance is inexcusable.

yeah without a giant lawsuit it'd be feasible to continue selling a dangerous product/not getting an elevator fixed and just paying some shmo a bit of mulah whenever it caused a big problem

Yes and that's pretty stupid.

Companies fuck up and I wouldn't want to punish them for that, I'd just ask for what I deserve and frankly don't give a shit about THEY GOT WHATS COMIN TO 'EM. Maybe I am just an easygoing guy or something. Plus trying to take on a big company isn't always smart since corporate america always wins. Heh heh heh.

hahaha.

oh, so there's lead in my house's paint and asbestos in the walls? Eh, who cares. Mistakes are mistakes. Live and let live, I say. Who cares if I have 3 different forms of cancer and all my family died from it? Can I just have enough money to pay my doctor bills?

wouldn't be funny if it was you