Two retired people sued the Safeway supermarket company because they claim that their dachshund was partially paralysed when it jumped up to get the Safeway advertising leaflets placed in the letterbox on the house. Yep, that's right, the mailers were in the mailbox, the dog jumped to get them, fell back to Earth (damn that gravity!), hurt itself and was partially paralysed, and they are suing the company whose mailer it was for this.
Now, just so that we all understand:
The setting=A private home where the injury takes place.
The injured party=a dachshund (dog).
The plaintiff=The home-owner/petowner.
The defendant=Safeway.
*rage boiling*
Yes, they were serious...though, for the life of me, I can't figure out why...well, that's a lie. I can figure out why; it's because they are part of that great American Litigious Society, who says that everything that can possibly happen is someone else's fault, and can be compensated for...that wacky group of mongoloid ass-monkeys who have never heard the phrases 'personal responsibility' or 'accident'.
Safeway has answered in a statement: "We do not consider there to be any liability on the part of Safeway. The leaflet was actually delivered by the National Leaflet Co, but regardless, we feel what has happened to Muffin [the dog] was merely an unfortunate incident for which no party can be held responsible. Apart from the liability issue, there is also question of causation - Mr Musselwhite would need to prove that the injury was caused in the manner alleged. In all circumstances, we firmly resisted any payment and advised any legal action against the company will be strenuously defended." Good for them, for not caving in and settling, just to avoid public bullshit.
Happily, I can at least report that the case was thrown out of court. District judge Peter Corrigan told the small claims court in Plymouth he was satisfied there was no breach of duty by Safeway and added: "I do not find a suspended leaflet equates to negligence."
Take that, fucko.