Top 5 Most Outrageous Personal Injury Claims
5. An Oregon man who was frequently mistaken for basketball legend Michael Jordan brought a lawsuit against Jordan and Nike, seeking $832 million in damages. Allen Heckard claimed that Jordan had caused him emotional pain and suffering as well as “permanent injury” by essentially defaming him. The suit was dismissed.
4. A woman sued a Florida county after she fell and injured herself while trying to shield her son from an attack by a goose in a public park. She asked for $15,000 to account for medical bills, mental anguish, and physical pain.
3. In Rohwer v. Federal Cartridge Co., a man who was mauled by a lion during an African big game hunting safari sued an ammunition manufacturer for his serious injuries. The plaintiff had fired a bullet made by Federal Cartridge Co. at a charging lion. When the bullet, which penetrated the lion’s shoulder, failed to stop the animal, it attacked and mauled the plaintiff. The case was dismissed by a federal court.
2. A woman sued a hair salon for emotional distress, depression, counseling, and lost income after a straightening treatment caused her hair to fall out. At trial, the woman testified that the balding caused her to become depressed and reclusive. A jury awarded her $6,000 after finding her hairstylist was negligent.
1. A woman filed a $90 million malpractice lawsuit against a hospital and the manufacturer of a recalled medical instrument after she learned that she may have been exposed to bacteria during a medical examination. She claimed that as a result of the examination, she suffered “unnecessary pain” and “fear of not knowing” whether she had been exposed to pseudomonas bacteria. The woman ultimately dropped the lawsuit.