Drinkin My Coffee, Readin The Paper And Couldn't Believe This Story. What A Rich Asshole.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

Thankfully, it didn't take long for a jury to recognize that he's an asshole. Read this story and tell me if you aren't shaking your head in disbelief either. Suing an 11 yr old girl? I'm just in awe as to how fucking cold some people can be. Here's some snips, but read the article:

Jury clears girl in suit over bike-skate crash

A Morris County civil jury deliberated just 15 minutes Monday before clearing a Chester Township teenager of negligence when she and a wealthy physician neighbor collided in 2003 while she was inline skating and he was bicycling.

Fertility specialist and township resident Dr. Alexander Dlugi, now 54, sued Lauren Ellis for pain, suffering and loss of income after they collided on Sugar Maple Row in Chester Township on Oct. 19, 2003, while out exercising. Ellis was 11 years old at the time. Today she is a 15-year-old freshman at West Morris-Mendham High School.

The jury of four men and three women announced a quick, unanimous verdict after listening to two hours of closing arguments and 1 1/2 hours of legal instructions from Superior Court Judge W. Hunt Dumont in Morristown. Dlugi was not present for the verdict and his attorney, Thomas Jardim, said he had medical procedures to perform.

Leo Redmond of Rockaway, a juror, said he found the girl's testimony more believable than the doctor's. He said he was surprised when called for jury duty last week to find that an adult doctor was suing a young girl.

Rest at link:
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/COMMUNITIES11/703060351

[kestrel91316]

1. So this presumably rich, highfalutin' physician didn't have any

medical insurance or disability insurance and so he felt like he had to go after a little girl for compensation?

I hope he gets caught in all his future scams, too. He sounds like a professional con artist to me. What a sick fuck.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. Know What Dropped My Jaw Most? HE Was Riding Behind HER!!!!

I couldn't believe that paragraph as I read it. She's in the road, he's behind her, he sees her, gets impatient, tries to go around her and then when causing commotion to warn her that HE's about to hit HER, she does the best she can to get out of the way and they collide; but it's HER fault? What a piece of shit.

[kestrel91316]

15. So he basically rear-ended her? What a prick.

[bentley]

31. He was riding behind her

He claims to be a skier, then he should know better, whenever approaching someone in front of you, it's your responsibility to watch out for them and always announce whether you are passing on the right or left, also you should always be in control and able to stop without hitting the person in front of you.

Being a skier, I'm relieved this guy will no longer be on the slopes.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

2. Karma, meet wealthy physician's ass.

Wealthy physician's ass, meet Karma.

[Prophet 451]

3. He's an asshole but

...watch how much mileage the "tort-reform" crowd will get out of this.

[depakid]

38. Exactly

I smell a Cadillac driving welfare queen.

And wouldn't you know, somebody's already taken the bait....

[DemoTex]

4. Physician, heal thyself!

.

[izzie]

6. If you live to my age you will be sure we are all subjects in a Brugel

painting.

[Demit]

7. Heironymus Bosch, more like. :)

[izzie]

37. Him too.

Whole thing is like a madhouse.

[TahitiNut]

10. Where's my codpiece?

:silly:

[Akoto]

8. Man, what a jerk.

I'm glad that the kid was the victor. Honestly, suing an 11 year old girl for accidentally skating into your bike?

[1monster]

14. No, he sued her for not getting out of his way fast enough before he ran her over

despite the fact that he was directly behind her when he rang his bell and yelled at her. She simply didn't get out of the way fast enough.

But, of course, she should have followed the example of that lawyer Cheney peppered with bird shot and apologized for having been hit by his bicycle. :eyes:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

22. Fucking Mind Boggling Ain't It?

That paragraph literally blew my mind.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. Well, there's a fuckface who needs to lighten up. -nt

[Catherine Vincent]

11. He should be Olbermann's "Worse Person in the World!"

n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

13. Know What? That REALLY Isn't A Bad Idea. I Might Have To Send Him The Linky Dinky.

[poverlay]

12. COUNTERSUIT, COUNTERSUIT, COUNTERSUIT!!! N/T

[TreasonousBastard]

16. The article brings up a lot of questions...

Why were the parents dismissed from the case-- when a minor is involved the parents get sued, usually.

How did it get to trial? Since when is a minor responsible for things like this?

The judge gave an HOUR AND A HALF of instructions to the jury? That could be about as long as the trial itself.

BTW, fifteen minutes seems like a pretty good time just for the jury to get acquainted and elect a foreman. Five of it to get to the jury room and find the seats.

[Blue_Tires]

26. that's my question as well

this case should have been thrown out long ago

[AngryOldDem]

17. Another reason for tort reform

And another validation for the British way of handling civil suits. If the person bringing the suit loses, he or she pays EVERYBODY'S expenses, and should also be held open to ANY countersuit for whatever hell he or she put the defendant through.

I am speaking from personal experience. A former co-worker got herself fired through her own stupidity and sued the company for discrimination and unjust termination, and dragged me right into the middle of it. I might as well been named as a co-defendant. This bitch and her lawyer kept everyone hanging for more than half a year, asking for continuances, making ridiculous demands of the company, etc. Finally, about a year to the day that she was fired, there was finally a deposition that blew whatever sorry case she had to shreds. I had to sit through a whole morning of her lawyer basically trying to character-assassinate me. Afterward, she then settled for not even a **pittance** of what she was suing for, and went away.

My life was made a living hell thanks to her. I am not the same person I was before I went through it, and that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Everybody is out to make a goddamned easy buck these days. Pathetic.

[rebel with a cause]

24. Well, my case is similar but very different.

I was harassed and let go from an agency, and probably could have sued rightfully but didn't. Others who had similar cases did, and I was to be called to testify for one of those cases but it ended up not going through. I was relieved, but I did testify for him to have his name cleared of false charges and that was successful. Then one of the children that had been damaged by this agency's willful neglect came about. I was called to testify in this trial, and had to give two depositions under oath. They settled out of court, but by that time I was once again emotionally in hell. I suffer PTSD from my time at this agency, primarily from the agency's administrators and from the working conditions, and this trauma brought all that rushing back to me.

When I just began to get settled down, the child's lawyer called me to say that he was looking for another of the youths that had been at the agency, and "we would take them down again". I began crying and told him that I would not testify again. Now the lawyer was getting money out of his effort, but I don't know why he thought I should be interested in going through this over and over again. Revenge? That is not good enough for me. I testified for the one child because he had been wronged, but the other youth was another question. Meaning that some lawsuits are right to do and some are not.

the other youth had been wronged also, but it was more by an employee and not the administrators. And to testify against this employee would be useless and dangerous, I had already stood up against him at the agency and he had retaliated against me. Well, anyway it seems that I am the only person in this mess that is without blame and who did what I was suppose to do (according to the lawyers on both sides), so nine years after my leaving the agency, I still wait for another law suit or something else to happen. Even though I live some 70/80 miles from the agency now, it is not far enough. I long to leave this area altogether and not have to worry about them anymore. My children want to leave here also, but for them to find employment else where has not been that successful. My daughter wants to get me somewhere else where I can die in peace.

No pity wanted, just blowing off some self pity this morning. ;-)

:nopity: :nopity:

[AngryOldDem]

29. I can relate

And I am sorry for what you went through.

After awhile (when the deposition was "postponed" for oh, about the tenth time) I came to the conclusion that the lawsuit was both a war of attrition and a cruel mind game that she and her lawyer were playing, merely because they could. They were hoping that the company would eventually cry uncle and offer a settlement. As it concerned me, her hatred of me was that pathological, and I think she did set out to make my life a living hell. (I read the lawsuit and there were so many lies that I did not know where to begin. I got a small taste of what it must be like for a rape victim who presses charges.)

I eventually had to get counseling for depression and spent a lot of money doing so. There were times that I did want to countersue if only to recoup the counseling fees, but then I would realize that I had been through enough emotionally and physically that no amount of money could/would fix. Neither would it be worth reliving the whole ordeal, which would have happened if I had countersued. So in a way, I guess, she did win.

They even had a trial date set. THAT just about sent me over the edge. The mind f--- continued up to the very day I sat down across the table from her and her lawyer and had to defend everything from my education to my work ethic. Then a few days later I learned a settlement had been reached -- it struck me as being like one big Emily Littella moment -- "Oh, never mind!"

In the end, she got what she wanted (well, some of it, anyway), and had the satisfaction of disrupting my life and that of many others over the course of a year. I just take comfort in the fact that I **do** believe in karma.

I've moved on from it, but it has colored my life. I just hope I'm never called to serve on any jury for any civil case.

[rebel with a cause]

32. I hear you,

and I would have a similar experience if ever I was called to testify against the SOB co-worker that I spoke about. He made my life hell when he found out that I would not back him in his lies and dirty agency politics. He helped create the mess to which I alluded and then claimed to be the hero/victim. One problem he had was too many people knew what he was. Anyway, the administration that came in after he got through doing his thing, was the ones who did the rest of the staff so bad. But the real villains for the children were the agency's administration from corporation headquarters. They were the ones that put money above human safety and needs.

I was called for jury duty one time but never had to serve. One of the people involved in one of the cases was an acquaintance of mine, so I could not have served even if I had been picked. This poor kid was being sued and he came up to me and started telling me all about it while I was standing in the jury pool. I kept telling him he couldn't do that, and he just kept talking, because I had been like a mother figure to him when we had classes together. Felt so sorry for him. I would never go if called again. I'd just get a doctor's permit and they would not want me there. :)

[sandnsea]

34. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stuipd

Jesus mother fucking god I get so damn sick and tired of people allowing themselves to be sucked right into right wing bullshit. If the little guy has to worry about paying the millions of dollars of legal fees a multinational would intentionally run up, then regular people would NEVER go to court.

Just because you didn't see eye to eye with the "bitch" doesn't mean she was the bitch. It also doesn't mean she didn't deserve her day in court.

[AngryOldDem]

35. Excuse me.

I forgot that you knew every detail about this situation that I did not post.

But you knew these facts, right?

1) This woman was reprimanded many times for her conduct at work, and was counseled to get anger management.
2) She was almost dismissed several times for said conduct, but the company did not do so because it is loathe to terminate its employees because of the inevitable lawsuits that occur, plus because most of its employees are basically unemployable anywhere else.
3) The episode that prompted her dismissal was one where I felt physically threatened.
4) This woman has a history of suing every employer with whom she has worked. At the time she sued my place of employment, she had a claim against McDonalds, plus one against a former landlord.
5) Her modus operandi for suing -- which many others concur to be true -- is that she sees it as easy money. And she's right -- the suit she filed had no merits but she exercised her rights to pursue it anyway because she knew at some point she would get something. Never mind the expense (monetary and otherwise) that everyone had to go through.

If she had a case she would not have offered to settle a week after our depositions were taken in the case, and BEFORE her deposition was taken by OUR lawyers. Coincidence? Maybe to you. Plus, she settled for what one person called enough money to buy a t-bone steak. Her suit was asking five-figure damages.

Note, too, that I was not happy with the way this company handled this person, given that it had sufficient documentation to let her go long before she was.

So no, in this case I don't think it is "right-wing" bullshit to expect people who bring spurious, harrassing lawsuits just to make money or for whatever other reason to be made accountable for abusing the system. Maybe if such people were weeded out, people who do have legitimate suits would be encouraged to file them, and the justice system would actually work.

Jesus mother fucking god I hate it when people take it upon themselves to be judgmental. Any more comments to make? I'll be more than happy to rebut, given that I went through this hell for a year.

ON EDIT: Another point. I am not talking about the little man going against huge multinational corporations. Please read for context.

[sandnsea]

36. It's the same civil right

You give it away in one instance, you give it away in the other. There are winners and losers in EVERY case. You don't stop having cases just because you disagree with the reasons the case is being brought. I know of a case right now where the people who are testifying in court are saying what they're saying for business purposes and old grudges, not because of the facts of the case. Sadly, somebody's going to go to prison because these people have dug themselves a hole and would have to admit to perjury in order for the truth to come out. Everybody has a right to their day in court, no matter how frivilous YOU might think the matter is.

You want to fix the court backlog - stop putting people into jail for pot charges, expedite petty prosecutions, and make the damn multinationals follow environmental and labor laws. Half the court cases would disappear over night.

[trumad]

39. Word ^

Those who call for Tort reform fall into line for big business and against the little guy...

[southerncrone]

18. Fertility specialist, huh?

Ironic that he helps couples conceive CHILDREN, but he doesn't have time to fool with them, except to SUE them when they get in his way!


I wouldn't let that piece of crap anywhere near my twat! I hope his practice DIES after this pathetic stunt!

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

:wtf:

[WindRavenX]

19. Morristown eh? Doesn't suprise me at all.

Lots of wealthy assholes there.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

21. Actually It Was Chester.

But there are some wealthy parts around chester too.

[WindRavenX]

23. Yeah that whole area is ridiculous at places.

One of my friends had a house that could've easily housed 20 people. I felt so...awkward.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

27. You From Around Here?

[WindRavenX]

30. Fort Lee/Bergenfield

Thou I'm up in Boston for skoolin'.

[Madspirit]

20. Wow

What kind of adult would sue a child? This is amazing. What an asshole.
Lee

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

28. "Rich doctor loses suit againt little girl"...

makes a much better headline, Jardim. Amazing that this prick is in the business of helping couples conceive children, only to sue them if they cross his path. Or in this case, when he crosses their path! Fifteen minute jury deliberation - that's a perfect FU. Too bad he wasn't there in person to hear it.

[siouxsiecreamcheese]

33. Most doctors are arrogant pricks

this is a good example of one

[GCP]

40. What a douche-bag prick

He looks a complete asshoile. :grr:

[hippiechick]

41. ... and they scream about Democrats and 'frivolous lawsuits' ...

:eyes:

[ck4829]

42. Score one for the non-wealthy

[sendero]

43. Anyone who has ridden a bike..

... and inline skates knows that a bike is pretty conrollable, inline skates no so much.

Juries USUALLY do the right thing and in this case they did it quick. The asshole can now add legal bills on top of his medical bills. Instant self-induced Karma.