The votes are in! This year’s most Ludicrous New Jersey Lawsuit is the dispute over whether Walmart should be liable because a gas can it sold exploded when someone tried to start a fire with it.

 

“Each year we poll the public to determine which New Jersey lawsuit they think is the most ludicrous, and we are never short of contenders,” said Marcus Rayner, the president of the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute.

 

“This year’s ‘winner’ highlights two big things that are wrong with our current legal system, a lack of common sense, and the shameless search for deep pockets. Everyone knows that gas is flammable, so trying to start a fire with a gas can is not a bright idea, but that did not prevent this plaintiff from suing after the gas can he was using to start a fire exploded. And he’s not just suing anyone, he’s going after the well-known retailer that sold the gas can,” said Rayner. “He is clearly targeting a defendant he thinks will pay up, not the party most at fault.”

 

“Lawsuits like this exist because our system is fundamentally flawed. When the law encourages a disregard for personal responsibility, and allows plaintiffs and their attorneys to go after the defendants with the deepest pockets rather than those who are actually at fault, these are the sorts of cases you see. It is time to enact some common sense legal reform that will discourage frivolous litigation.”