The Stupidest Lawsuit of All Time

DoubleEgger

This might be the most idiotic lawsuit of all time. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/06/21/home-depot-menards-lumber-size-lawsuit/415874001/

theyolksonyou

Bwahahahaha

HeavyG

I get their point, most people probably don't realize the difference nominal/actual dimensions in that sort of lumber, but I doubt their suit gets very far.

Mickey

It's all over. Time to move high in the mountains......

fishlessman

pisses me off at homedepot buying a 2x4 thats supposed to measure 1.5x3.5 and it actually measures 1.375x 3.375 the bge forum should sue for that, i mean how can you build a table like that

Focker

Working in the big box lumberyard, 1/3 not knowing the dimensions of a 4x4 is quite low actually, 1/2 is more accurate.

bigbadben

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

EggNorth

I always remember one case we studied way back in school in a law course ( sorry was in a text book, no internet back the then) where a burglar breaks into a house via a window,  the window came down on the burglar and injured him.   He sued the homeowner because of the defective window and won.

All depends on the later you have I guess.

DoubleEgger

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

I dunno. McD's lawsuit claimed the coffee was hotter than "standard". This lumber has been the standard for over 50 yrs. Modern construction techniques and building materials are designed around these nominal lumber dimensions. 

Only suing Home Depot and Menards shows that it's frivolous. Why not throw in every lumber yard in the country and every store that sells lumber? 

ColtsFan

Probably Millenials

blasting

I sure hope these plaintiffs don't buy a yeti...

Kcheves

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

This is frequently used as an example of a frivolous lawsuit, bit the plaintiff in that case was hospitalized for eight days while she underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment.  And it was settled for a fraction of the amount that was awarded.

SaintJohnsEgger

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years. 

Just some lawyers fleecing their customers. an winnings will wind up in the lawyers pockets not the plaintiffs and we will all end up paying more for lumber.

DoubleEgger

Kcheves said:

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

This is frequently used as an example of a frivolous lawsuit, bit the plaintiff in that case was hospitalized for eight days while she underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment.  And it was settled for a fraction of the amount that was awarded.

It actually went to the appellate court where the judge awards damages. Nearly every one of those outrageous awards gets brought back to reality in the appellate court. 

HeavyG

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

Never hurts to recap the hot coffee lawsuit - http://mentalfloss.com/article/26862/real-details-hot-coffee-lawsuit

fishlessman

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years. 

Just some lawyers fleecing their customers. an winnings will wind up in the lawyers pockets not the plaintiffs and we will all end up paying more for lumber.

non kilned rough cut lumber at the saw mill is true to size, the boards finished and dried are smaller.

dstearn

DoubleEgger said:

This might be the most idiotic lawsuit of all time. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/06/21/home-depot-menards-lumber-size-lawsuit/415874001/

slovelad

fishlessman said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years. 

Just some lawyers fleecing their customers. an winnings will wind up in the lawyers pockets not the plaintiffs and we will all end up paying more for lumber.

non kilned rough cut lumber at the saw mill is true to size, the boards finished and dried are smaller.

I always thought that it was for construction purposes. Because the standard wall in a house is 4 inches thick.  A 2x4 with 2 1/4 inch drywall pieces. 

slovelad

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

The McDonald's lawsuit held way more (hot) water than this suit.

the plaintiffs in this suit have no actual or identifiable injuries whether physical or pecuniary.

Focker

fishlessman said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years. 

Just some lawyers fleecing their customers. an winnings will wind up in the lawyers pockets not the plaintiffs and we will all end up paying more for lumber.

non kilned rough cut lumber at the saw mill is true to size, the boards finished and dried are smaller.

Bingo, we have a winner.

blasting

Kcheves said:

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

This is frequently used as an example of a frivolous lawsuit, bit the plaintiff in that case was hospitalized for eight days while she underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment.  And it was settled for a fraction of the amount that was awarded.

She may have had injuries, but it was still a frivolous lawsuit.  

She purchased hot coffee and spilled it on herself - McDonalds didn't spill it on her.  

I've been injured since Christmas, with another solid 6 months to go.  My injury has incapacitated me a lot longer than coffee grandma.  I could have filed a frivolous suit and got some "go away" money.  However, my injury was my fault - to blame someone else would be an erosion of character.  These days people will sell there integrity for a few zeros on a check.  No thanks.

slovelad

Also, not sure if anyone was aware of this class action,  but I was member of the class action suit against EA sports and the NCAA for illegally using our likeness in the video game without compensation.

they paid out 90 million to players in the game based on years on the game, etc.

i got enough to buy atleast a large egg and some accessories out of the deal if that tells you anything lol

poster

slovelad said:

fishlessman said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years. 

Just some lawyers fleecing their customers. an winnings will wind up in the lawyers pockets not the plaintiffs and we will all end up paying more for lumber.

non kilned rough cut lumber at the saw mill is true to size, the boards finished and dried are smaller.

I always thought that it was for construction purposes. Because the standard wall in a house is 4 inches thick.  A 2x4 with 2 1/4 inch drywall pieces. 

1/4" drywall? Is that what is used in your area? our code has 1/2" minimum on walls and 5/8 for ceilings, maybe its a local thing

poster

Ever try building a deck from 2 different suppliers? dimensions or tolerances still very greatly between manufacturers. Ive seen as much as 1/4" on a 2x6

fishlessman

slovelad said:

fishlessman said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years. 

Just some lawyers fleecing their customers. an winnings will wind up in the lawyers pockets not the plaintiffs and we will all end up paying more for lumber.

non kilned rough cut lumber at the saw mill is true to size, the boards finished and dried are smaller.

I always thought that it was for construction purposes. Because the standard wall in a house is 4 inches thick.  A 2x4 with 2 1/4 inch drywall pieces. 

i buy a fair amt roughcut because im matching the wood from an old house, then plane my own when i dneed to use the finished size. hd and lowes lumbar is still smaller than finished size, they should be sued

gdenby

fishlessman said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never understood why they are measured that way but I've known about it for years.

non kilned rough cut lumber at the saw mill is true to size, the boards finished and dried are smaller.

I have an old friend who has spent decades remodeling houses dating back as far as the 1860s. I visited him on a job site once, and a wall had been stripped to the framing. I was astonished at the size of the lumber. He explained that originally 2 x 4s were just that. As was everything in the house. Joists were full 2 x 12. The house, a mansion built by a furniture maker, was framed in oak, and would most likely last another century at least.

Kcheves

blasting said:

Kcheves said:

bigbadben said:

Not sure I agree.  I still think the person who sued McDs for serving them hot coffee wins. I will agree this is a close second. 

This is frequently used as an example of a frivolous lawsuit, bit the plaintiff in that case was hospitalized for eight days while she underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment.  And it was settled for a fraction of the amount that was awarded.

She may have had injuries, but it was still a frivolous lawsuit.  

She purchased hot coffee and spilled it on herself - McDonalds didn't spill it on her.  

I've been injured since Christmas, with another solid 6 months to go.  My injury has incapacitated me a lot longer than coffee grandma.  I could have filed a frivolous suit and got some "go away" money.  However, my injury was my fault - to blame someone else would be an erosion of character.  These days people will sell there integrity for a few zeros on a check.  No thanks.

You should read the analyses of the case. It's not that cut and dried.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Subway's foot long sandwich case...

Edit: Sorry you were injured.  Good luck with your recovery.

Botch

DoubleEgger said:
This lumber has been the standard for over 50 yrs. Modern construction techniques and building materials are designed around these nominal lumber dimensions. 

This is true; however, the more recent "thinning" of standard plywood thicknesses (1/2" is now 15/32" or something like that) by Weyerhauser et al should have been met with a lawsuit, class-action lawsuits!  
Now, if I want a tight fit, the tool makers will gladly sell me stacked dado blades and router bits that are 1/32" smaller than the nominal 1/4, 1/2, 3/4". That was ****.  

SaintJohnsEgger

If they were really concerned about this then it should have been filed as a class action lawsuit. Instead I think they are just out to make money off of someone else.

Eoin

gdenby said:

I have an old friend who has spent decades remodeling houses dating back as far as the 1860s........

My first house was older than that, nothing was square. We had a lot of wood cut to size to match the old stuff, or used reclaimed and adjusted it.

DoubleEgger

Eoin said:

gdenby said:

I have an old friend who has spent decades remodeling houses dating back as far as the 1860s........

My first house was older than that, nothing was square. We had a lot of wood cut to size to match the old stuff, or used reclaimed and adjusted it.

1860s is new by European standards