Watch Your Step

There is a great deal made in the press about “frivolous” lawsuits. The belief, of course, is that people sue for anything, and thereafter, the belief is that they win, and they shouldn’t. Many of the sensational cases we hear about are completely fictitious, the lawsuits were never filed, and the “victims” in those stories never recovered anything. There was a recent case however, that notwithstanding the real injury suffered, serves to fuel this “frivolous” debate.

In July, 2008, Ms. Corrigan, a 65 year old woman in Washington, DC, sat at her kitchen table when Verizon’s workman was doing repairs in her home. The repairman put his tool bag UNDER her kitchen table. Somehow, Ms. Corrigan tripped over this bag and did in fact suffer some pretty serious injuries. She fractured her right knee and left shoulder, and she had multiple surgeries and numerous grueling hours of physical therapy.

She sued Verizon and claimed that the repairman was negligent in not telling her he had placed the bag UNDER (my emphasis) her table. So here, I gotta wonder…. UNDER the table? UNDER the table….

Anyway, the case settled for $635,000.00 because the Verizon attorneys felt that both Ms. Corrigan and her husband would make excellent and sympathetic witnesses, and that her injury was so significant that if they lost in court, the verdict could be much higher.

Can you hear me now?