Consumer watchdog George Gombossy this morning filed a 1st Amendment lawsuit against his former employer, Tribune-owned Hartford Courant. There’s some gangbusters stuff in the filing, like the part where he says the new owners told him to “be nice” to one of their key advertisers:
lawsuits
Freescore.com Sues Yahoo To Reveal Blogger's Identity
By 9.28.09
Freescore.com is one of those online companies that offers a free trial, and then attempts to enroll its customers in a $30/month subscription service. Now they’re suing Yahoo in an attempt to reveal an anonymous blogger who quoted a Reuters article when criticizing the service, and who pointed out that Freescore is owned by a company with a reputation for billing customers without permission.
Cash4Gold Drops Consumerist From Lawsuit
By 9.25.09
Cash4Gold has dropped Consumerist as a defendant in the lawsuits against ex-employees Michelle Liberis and Vielka Nephew.
Man Sues Bank Of America For $1.78 Trillion Billion Dollars
By 9.25.09
Dalton Chiscolm has sued Bank of America and its board, and wants “1,784 billion, trillion dollars” in return for being subjected to what the judge describes as “inconsistent information from a ‘Spanish womn’ [sic]” as well as allegedly misrouted checks. In addition, Chiscolm wants another $200,164,000 in damages. We’re not sure why that amount is separate, but who knows how a mind like Chiscolm’s works?
Lawsuit: Debt Collector Harassment Contributed To Man's Death
By 9.19.09
When a Florida man suffered a heart attack, he needed to leave his job. Between everyday expenses and medical bills, he fell behind on his mortgage and other bills, and debt collectors began calling. And calling. And calling. Eventually, a lawsuit alleges, the stress from the harassing and abusive phone calls led to the man’s death. Frivolous lawsuit? Maybe not.
Cash4Gold Threatened Jail If Negative Comments Weren't Removed
By 9.18.09
Ex-Cash4Gold employee Vielka Nephew filed a motion to vacate the default in the company’s lawsuit against her this week, a lawsuit we’re a party to. By getting rid of the default she would then be able to defend herself in the lawsuit and to seek to undo the default injunction which Cash4Gold had obtained against her. One highlight of Nephew’s legal papers is the declaration attached as Exhibit C, in which she says Cash4Gold’s lawyers told her the company would seek jail time for her and Michele Liberis if the statements Liberis posted on the internet about the company — which Cash4Gold alleged to be false and defamatory – were not removed. Here’s what Vielka declared:
Microsoft Goes After Malicious Ad Suppliers
By 9.18.09
If you visited the New York Times website last week, you may have been surprised to have your browsing interrupted by one of those scammy “we’re scanning your computer for viruses OH NO YOU HAVE A VIRUS!” ads that overtake your window. Now Microsoft has filed 5 lawsuits in an attempt to fight back against the jerks who may have been responsible for it, and certainly for other ads like it all over the web.
So You Want To Sue The Company That's Screwing You Over
By 9.18.09
Jon wants us to recommend a good lawyer to sue HP for screwing him over on laptop repairs. We do not offer legal advice like that. We do, however, believe strongly in the power of small claims court.
Maker of Yummy Vat-Grown Fungus Sued Over "Dangerous Reactions"
By 9.17.09
The food-safety watchdogs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest report that an Arizona woman is suing the makers of Quorn, a meat substitute made from vat-grown fungus. According to the CPSI, the company does not disclose “the fact that some people have serious allergic reactions to the main ingredient in its Quorn line of meat substitutes.” The lead plaintiff in the class-action suit, Kathy Cardinale, says that she became violently ill when eating Quorn’s Chik’n Patties. “I felt like the soles of my feet were going to come out of my mouth, I was vomiting so hard,” she said.
Parents Sue Dunkin' Donuts After Rogue Hash Brown Burns Toddler
By 9.13.09
Continuing this weekend’s unintentional theme of “toddlers and food service,” today we bring you the sad tale of a Quincy, Mass. 23-month-old whose parents are suing Dunkin’ Donuts after he was burned by a hash brown. A hash brown that fell out of his mouth and onto his neck.
16-Year-Old Unwittingly Stars In Homemade Abercrombie & Fitch Dressing Room Video
By 9.10.09
A teenager is suing Abercrombie & Fitch and one of its former employees after she caught someone filming her in one of the store’s dressing rooms.
McCurry Defeats McDonald's In Trademark Infringement Lawsuit
By 9.9.09
In a victory for little guys worldwide, the Malaysian restaurant McCurry has won an epic trademark battle against McDonald’s. Yes, McDonald’s. McCurry has been open for ten years, and has spent eight of those fighting McDonald’s. They won on the grounds that nobody could possibly ever confuse the two restaurants.
Florida AG Sues TigerDirect For 'Continually Blaming Customers' For Rebate Delays
By 9.8.09
Waiting for a rebate from TigerDirect? Good luck with that. In a suit filed last Friday, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is charging the company with, among other things, promising customers that rebates would arrive in about 8-10 weeks of submission, when in fact “a vast number of customers experienced delays ranging from one to more than eight months, before receiving their promised rebates, if at all.” The suit also charges TigerDirect with engaging in “deceptive and unfair trade practices.”
Papa John's Camaro Drives To Court
By 9.6.09
We all should have known that at the intersection of a long-lost car, a multi-national pizza chain, and a huge cash reward, there would be litigation. Papa John’s owner John Schnatter offered a $250,000 reward for his 1971 Camaro. A couple who formerly owned the car helped Schnatter track it down, but didn’t receive the reward because they didn’t hold the car’s title. They did receive a $25,000 “finder’s fee,” but claim that the reward should rightfully be theirs. Now the company and the couple are suing each other. [WKLY] (Thanks, Becky!)
Good News For Attorneys With Bulging Muscles, Pretty Dresses, And HDTVs
By 9.2.09
Have you taken a bar exam prep course since 2001? Have you shopped at Cache, bought an HDTV, or used creatine supplements? You just might be eligible for one of several recently settled lawsuits.
More Unemployed Alumni Sue Their College
By 8.29.09
Everyone (including us) snickered when an unemployed woman sued the college she had graduated from only months before, but the news story did help bring to light the overly optimistic or outright misleading claims made by some for-profit educational institutions. Now, thirteen former students of Everest College‘s Dallas campus have sued the school, claiming that they were misled about the transferability of the school’s credits and their prospects for employment.
Iowa Woman Claims Rodent Of Unusual Sauce Served As A Hot Wing
By 8.29.09
I’m no connoisseur of chicken wings, but I’ve heard that they aren’t supposed to contain fur. However, that was what a woman in Des Moines allegedly found in her hot wings. She’s stashing the unacceptable food item in her freezer until further notice. Is it an Iowa Fried Mouse, or something else that doesn’t belong in a meal?
