Everybody knows the famous lawsuit that became national news when Stella Liebeck sued McDonald’s because she spilled a hot cup of coffee on her lap, suffering third-degree burns in the process.. She won the case, and the jury awarded her nearly $3 million in punitive damages for the burns she suffered.
However, this was not an isolated case. There were many “frivolous lawsuits” worldwide and most of them stand out because of how truly absurd they were. Even if it is hard to believe that some of these plaintiffs actually won their cases despite the odds, here are the most ridiculous lawsuits of all time… and we really DO mean ridiculous!!!
Man wants to legally change his age
- Year: 2018
- Result: Plaintiff lost
In order to avoid ageism (prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age), a 69-year-old Dutchman wanted to legally change his date of birth. Emile Ratelband said he felt discriminated, because his real age (69 at that time) was affecting his job prospects as well as his chances of success on Tinder, the popular dating app.
The Dutch court refused to change Emile Ratelband’s age and explained to him that many rights and obligations are age-based, and that changing the legal age could cause many complications and trouble.
