The Joke's on Him

Did you hear the joke about the American lawyer who sued a dry cleaner for $54 million because the dry cleaner lost a pair of pants he brought in for $10.50 worth of alterations? Okay, as you probably know it was not a joke. An actual lawyer filed a real lawsuit in Washington D.C. earlier this year over missing pants. And yes the amount claimed in damages was $54 million. The lawsuit was rightfully dismissed, but the damage had been done. This case, and many others, keep the stereotype that many Germans have of Americans as being litigation happy alive and well. According to this stereotype, Americans will sue over just about anything (being served coffee that is "too hot," getting sick from smoking cigarettes or eating fast food, etc.). As I will point out in later posts, while the stereotype of Americans may be fair, it's not limited just to Americans. But back to the dry cleaner lawsuit. You may remember that the lawyer who filed the suit was also an administrative law judge. Well not for much longer, according to the Washington Post.