Whiplash: America's Most Frivolous Lawsuits (Paperback)

by James Percelay (Author) "Accidents can happen, especially with proper planning!..." (more)
Key Phrases: Department of Corrections, Supreme Court of New York, New York City Transit Authority (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A compendium of the most outrageous real-life lawsuits ever concocted by greedy, legal minds. This book hilariously demonstrates techniques for cashing in, in court, and boasts the funniest legal jokes, most outrageous lawyer license plates, a legalese dictionary, and, of course, a caseload of comical lawsuits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740704966
• ISBN-13: 978-0740704963
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,097,698 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Star, January 30, 2001

By	David Leiter (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This is one funny book -- both graphically and in the clever way it's written. Cases like the suit against M&M's for not including a peanut in one of their chocolate morsels had me laughing out loud. The book also shows diagrams (tongue in cheek, I hope) on how to create your own frivolous lawsuits. Who ever thinks America is not overlawyered needs only to read the first chapter of "WHIPLAASH!" I bought this after seeing the author featured on the game show "To Tell The Truth." I recommend this book, but don't sue me if you disagree. David Leiter

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Even A Lawyer Can Enjoy This!, November 19, 2000

By A Customer

This book proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Some of this stuff just couldn't be invented. The authors have done an incredible job coming up with examples of bizarre legal claims, almost all of which apparently were either ultimately dismissed or dropped, I might add. I guess our legal system is working just fine, though I doubt that was the point of the book.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Truth Isn't Always Stranger Than Fiction, June 29, 2000

By A Customer

I first heard of this book when the author appeared on "Crier Today" on Court TV; an engaging speaker, but his pithy description of one case covered in the book indicated that his accounts of lawsuits might not be quite accurate in all instances.

A humorously recounted tale of a stuporously drunk man trespassing onto rail tracks and electrocuting himself, followed by a lawsuit and a $3 million verdict might give rise to a sense of outrage about a legal system gone wrong. A review of the decision by the Illinois Supreme Court in _Lee v. Chicago Transit Authority,_ 152 Ill.2d 432, 605 N.E.2d 493 (1992) (in which it is clearly stated that the jury acknowledged Mr. Lee's own degree of fault, and reduced the verdict by 50%) might lead to a different conclusion. The verdict was based upon dull things like the CTA's knowledge that the third rail was at street-level, accidents had occurred in the past, and a not-at-all frivolous or terribly innovative application of the Restatement (Second) of Torts. Those who want a relatively succinct account of how the _Lee_ case was used (after appropriate distortion of the underlying facts) to rally support for tort reform in Illinois, please see: Stephanie B. Goldberg, "Tough Times for Victims? Tort Reform Is Supposed to End Outrageous Lawsuits, But Its Impact May Be Far Greater Than That," Chicago _TRIBUNE,_ July 30, 1995 (Sunday Magazine).

If you want a quick, undemanding and entertaining read, you might enjoy this book. But don't rely upon it as a reliable citation for what really happened in the courtroom. Frivolous lawsuits are brought every day -- but based upon Percelay's and Deutchman's treatment of the Lee case, they're not always terribly careful about their research. That might be too much to demand from a book such as this.