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The CALA Watchdog
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For Immediate Release – September 20, 2004 Contact: Adrienne ("Andy") Kotner CALA HITS THE HIGHWAY TO PUSH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY San Diego - After years of speaking out on lawsuits over spilled coffee, overeating and innumerable other cases that leave the public rolling its collective eyes, San Diego County Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is taking a new approach to talking about personal responsibility: "Our way and the highway." "With a new billboard bearing the message, "Spill Your Coffee? Get A Grip, Not A Lawyer," CALA is mounting a direct assault on the philosophy that there’s always someone else to blame. The new billboard is posted at Highway 163 (South) close to the Claremont Mesa Exit on the east side of the highway (the billboard is facing north). "There’s no question that personal responsibility plays a huge role in how our legal system is used and abused," says "Andy" Kotner, CALA President. "Unfortunately there’s a wealthy crowd of personal injury lawyers who would prefer to keep lining their pockets by telling us to sue, even if the fault is our own. We think it’s time for a zero tolerance attitude towards lawsuit abuse, and this is our rallying cry." In addition to the famous McDonald’s "spilled coffee lawsuit" that inspired the sign, some examples of the kind of lawsuits CALA is trying to draw attention to are: A Wisconsin man after receiving free cable for four years, brought a small claims complaint to the cable company office stating, "I believe the reason I smoke and drink every day and my wife is overweight is because we watched TV every day for the last four years." ("Man says he’s addicted to cable; Wants to sue…" The Reporter, 01/07/04) A Pennsylvania woman put a cherry Pop-Tart in her toaster at home one morning and forgot about it as she drove the children to school. Upon her return, smoke was billowing from the home and firefighters were already on-scene. The couple then proceeded to sue the Kellogg company for $10,000 for damages to their home. ("Couple sues over Flaming Pop Tart," Reuters, 07-30-01) A state Supreme Court jury in Manhattan awarded $14.1 million to a woman who walked into a train tunnel, laid down on the tracks and was hit by a train. Police concluded the woman had been trying to commit suicide. ("Win Big! Lie in front of a train," Overlawyered.com (quoting from the New York Law Journal), 06/27/02 A family of four sued the Los Angeles Dodgers for "false imprisonment and battery" by security guards after one of the plaintiffs assaulted a female usher. ("Dodger fans ejected," California Bar Journal, June 2002) A 17-year old Santa Cruz man sued Santa Cruz County because he had crashed into a park gate while skating at night, while stoned on pot. The claim was that the County had created a dangerous condition of public property by not placing any signs, reflectors or lights that might have helped the stoned skater see the gate. ("Stoned skater can sue county," Legal Reader, 05/03/04) A West Virginia man who fell down an airport escalator after drinking aboard an airline flight sued the airline, claiming it didn’t notify him that drinking alcohol at night might adversely affect him." ("Man sues airline in tipsy escalator mishap," Naples Daily News, 03/31/04) Three teenagers in New York City filed a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's Corp., saying the fast food chain's food caused them to gain as much as 200 pounds and develop serious health problems related to being overweight. (Los Angeles Times, 07/08/03 ) "At first we all just want to laugh at these suits, but when you realize that we’re all paying for it, it’s suddenly not so funny," Kotner says. "Crazy lawsuits and outlandish damage awards are hurting consumers, homeowners, taxpayers and businesses large and small. A few greedy people are trying to win the `lawsuit lottery’ at everyone else’s expense." CALA is a nonprofit grassroots education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain. The group currently has nearly 8,500 supporters throughout San Diego. Persons interested in receiving more information about lawsuit abuse can call (619-295-6059) or visit www.sdcala.org. This page was last updated on 01/24/03 © 2002 San Diego County Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse |
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