Owners of dry-cleaning business that were frivously sued for $54 million have to close shop

[Queasy]

Sad. Makes me wonder if they'd be able to sue that idiot judge back for the loss of their businesses.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The owners of a dry cleaner who were sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants have closed and sold the shop involved in the dispute, their attorney said Wednesday.

The South Korean immigrants are citing a loss of revenue and the emotional strain of defending the lawsuit. They will focus their energy on another dry-cleaning shop they still own, said their attorney, Chris Manning.

"This is a truly tragic example of how devastating frivolous litigation can be to the American people and to small businesses," Manning said in a statement.

Soo Chung and her husband, Jin Nam Chung, faced more than two years of litigation after a former customer at Custom Cleaners alleged they had lost a pair of his pants, then sued for $67 million under the District of Columbia's strict consumer protection act.

Plaintiff Roy L. Pearson, a local administrative law judge, later lowered his demand to $54 million. He said the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service" signs that once hung in the shop were misleading and fraudulent.

The case went to trial in June and a D.C. Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the Chungs, awarding Pearson nothing. Pearson is pursuing an appeal.

The Chungs incurred more than $100,000 in legal expenses, which were eventually paid with help from fundraisers and donations.

Even after the trial ended favorably, Manning said, the Chungs lost customers and revenue. They have now closed two of their three businesses since the lawsuit began, he said.

Pearson did not respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Really need a "loser pays" system for crap like this.

 

[waggy]

yeah read that this morning.

its disgusting.

 

[Platypus]

waggy you should use the bulldog avatar

 

[Capt Caveman]

If it's possible, I hope the judge loses his position and gets disbar'd.

 

[GTaudiophile]

American legal system at its best!

It all makes me sick to my stomach...the lawsuit culture we have in this country...and the greed that fuels it...on both sides, those looking for the "easy lottery" and the lawyers who agree to work on their behalf.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If it's possible, I hope the judge loses his position and gets disbar'd.

didnt he already lose it?


platpus what?

 

[George P Burdell]

Seriously, this is messed up. The laundry owner must have worked hard for years to keep his shop running, and all it took was a douchebag and a fucked up legal system to end it all.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If it's possible, I hope the judge loses his position and gets disbar'd.

didnt he already lose it?


platpus what?

wag like a dog

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If it's possible, I hope the judge loses his position and gets disbar'd.

didnt he already lose it?


platpus what?

wag like a dog

heh other forums have done that. Mods had changed my avator to a dog wagging its tail.

 

[StageLeft]

Judge should be ashamed of himself. I bet if somebody put up a fund, they'd get enough donations to keep this afloat to cover any rough patch because of that cock smoking plaintiff.

 

[m1ldslide1]

I think that for all intensive purposes this judge's career is over. At least so I heard.

Like everyone else, I think these people should have legal recourse against him.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If it's possible, I hope the judge loses his position and gets disbar'd.

didnt he already lose it?


platpus what?

wag like a dog

heh other forums have done that. Mods had changed my avator to a dog wagging its tail.

On the talk of avatars, what were you originally? Weren't you white haired guy?

 

[Q]

Wait, so did the guy win?

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
If it's possible, I hope the judge loses his position and gets disbar'd.

didnt he already lose it?


platpus what?

wag like a dog

heh other forums have done that. Mods had changed my avator to a dog wagging its tail.

awwww

 

[Kaieye]

1,400,000 lawsuits were started in California alone last year...

 

[PingSpike]

Yeah, I really think lawsuits just need some sort of loser pays system that way you don't have people, especially assholes lawyers who don't even have to pay anyone to file the paperwork, just suing the shit out everyone because there's no real loss to them even if the case is totally bogus.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Quintox
Wait, so did the guy win?

No, the judge lost but the costs of the lawsuit in terms of spending money to defends themselves and the cost of (for all intents and purposes) negative advertising killed the owners financially.

 

[trmiv]

$54 million? I want to see these frigging pants! They must be diamond studded.

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

It all makes me sick to my stomach...the lawsuit culture we have in this country...and the greed that fuels it...on both sides, those looking for the "easy lottery" and the lawyers who agree to work on their behalf.

:thumbsup:

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: trmiv
$54 million? I want to see these frigging pants! They must be diamond studded.

dad part is they found the pants a long time ago. he refuses to pick them up.

 

[KK]

Too bad someone didn't step up and kill the ex-judge.

 

[j00fek]

love that american justice system

 

[Gneisenau]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
Seriously, this is messed up. The laundry owner must have worked hard for years to keep his shop running, and all it took was a douchebag and a fucked up legal system to end it all.

This just shows why our legal system is F'ed up. Even judges are sue happy. How can we expect them to judge what's frivilous if, they don't know themselves.

 

[dabuddha]

That asshat needs some face time with sweet lady brick :|

 

[Mxylplyx]

Originally posted by: m1ldslide1
I think that for all intensive purposes this judge's career is over. At least so I heard.

Like everyone else, I think these people should have legal recourse against him.

I bet the lawyers just love this shit. Suing people for being sued. Lawyers are a burden on almost everything we do in this country. I think all lawyers should be tossed into the middle of the ocean.