[Newsbot]

Title: Yale student sues US Airways for $1 million over lost video game console
Category: Uncle Sam
Posted By: snookums
Date: 2009-03-11 14:26:47

[RUEZ]

I hope he get's his ass kicked.

[commanderkai]

I would of put it in carry-on. Seriously, who trust luggage handlers?

[Bibbi]

I hope he wins. It might engender greater care with luggage and supervision of handlers.

[raydan]

He can't win and there's a good reason.
If he did, then anyone could make false claims about missing articles.

First of all, can he prove that the console was in his luggage?
Can he prove the value?
The 1 million for damages is frivolous and any judge will see that. What will the guy say, that the console has sentimental value or that this caused him great psychological pain and suffering.

He's an idiot, even if his story is true.
You don't pack articles of value in your luggage. If you do, you buy supplemental insurance.

[DrJones]

He should be fined for starting a useless lawsuit based on fraudulent claims for damages. These nonsense suits clog up the courts everywhere and they must be stamped out.

[newfette]

this is the US though, people win frivolous lawsuits all the time

[danimal]

Part of me wants to tell this guy to stop being ridiculous and realize that there is more to life than sitting around all day smashing buttons and arguing with people around the world through a headset. However another part of me is somewhat empathetic due to the fact that a couple months ago on my arrival in Vancouver I found that a handle on my luggage along with an entire outside pocket attached to it had been ripped off by a careless handler despite the fact that it was labeled fragile!

[Chumley]

It had a "specialized" hard drive. What was he doing with it, hacking and pirating games?

[QBall]

There's no way a XBox 360 console is worth $1,700, no matter what kind of hard drive the thing has. Plus if it's so special why would he put it in his luggage. Even if he can prove the console was worth that much and was able to recover it, the lawyer's fee will negate the award (he's not going to get anything more than that).

[newfette]

danimal wrote:

Part of me wants to tell this guy to stop being ridiculous and realize that there is more to life than sitting around all day smashing buttons and arguing with people around the world through a headset. However another part of me is somewhat empathetic due to the fact that a couple months ago on my arrival in Vancouver I found that a handle on my luggage along with an entire outside pocket attached to it had been ripped off by a careless handler despite the fact that it was labeled fragile!

just to play devil's advocate here, do you have proof that it was a luggage handler that ripped it off and not that it got stuck in a piece of equipment that transferes your luggage??

[danimal]

Hello newfette, I can see where you're coming from but the position of the damaged handle which is on the end of the hockey bag style luggage, it is most likely what a careless handler would have grabbed when moving it where ever it may have been going at the time. All I know for sure is that It's friday I don't want to argue with you or anyone so have a great weekend!

[BartSimpson]

It's crap like this that sometimes makes me wince to be called an American.

[Bibbi]

raydan wrote:

He can't win and there's a good reason.
If he did, then anyone could make false claims about missing articles.

First of all, can he prove that the console was in his luggage?
Can he prove the value?
The 1 million for damages is frivolous and any judge will see that. What will the guy say, that the console has sentimental value or that this caused him great psychological pain and suffering.

He's an idiot, even if his story is true.
You don't pack articles of value in your luggage. If you do, you buy supplemental insurance.

You don't understand lawsuits. A suit for 4.7 million will garner 2 million plus with a good lawyer. If a police report has been made then it is generally accepted without proof to the contrary that it is a legitimate claim. The original bill for the console is probably on some store computer and verifiable.

The legal argument will be related to due dilligence. If the owner used due dilligence in locking his luggage etc. and that only security could have accessed it, and whether the airport exhibited due dilligence in the handling of his luggage and the hiring of luggage handlers.

Legally the case is not frivolous, and the expected settlement will be less than 1 million dollars.