No one ever expects to have a law firm involved in your April Fools Day prank. But, sometimes lines are crossed and the pranks are not so funny. Injuries, emotional distress, or even death have been reported in the past from pranks gone wrong. In instances similar to these, a law firm will often get involved to prevent potential lawsuits from occurring. Below are a few past outrageous pranks that now serve as a reminder to keep future pranks fun and lawful.
Million Dollar Dog Food
A firefighter in Los Angeles expected to enjoy a delicious dinner on April Fools night during his shift, however, his co-worker thought it would be funny to put dog food in his meal. Once the victim found out, he was outraged. He sued for multiple accounts including emotional distress, racial harassment, retaliation, and failure to investigate. The man received over $1.4 million for his experience.
School Shooting Scare
A woman worked at the same college her daughter attended school. She thought it would be comical to text her daughter in the middle of the day saying she could hear bullets from her office. The daughter panicked and tried to reach her mom, but there’s no answer. She then proceeded to call the police thinking something terrible had happened.
The police arrived and investigated to find no active shooter. The police soon found out about the text and charged the mother with aggravated breach of peace and disturbing a school. It wasn’t clear in reports if she was convicted.
Hooter’s Not so Fun Toyota Competition
This prank was simply a play on words gone wrong. A Hooter’s manager decided he would have a competition to see which server could sell the most beer. The winner received what they expected to be a new Toyota vehicle. At the end of the day, he took the winner out to the parking lot where a baby “toy yoda” was sitting in a parking spot. The server was quite displeased with her winnings so she sought legal counsel. She sued for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of contract. The server won her case and had enough money to buy her a real Toyota, and likely, another.
Reminder from our Law Firm to Keep the Pranking Fun, Safe, and Fair This April 1st
Unfortunately, there are many more horror stories of pranks gone wrong. We want to remind everyone to enjoy the holiday appropriately and practice pranks that will make people want to laugh, not make people sue. If you have any legal questions or a friend/family member that becomes victim to a horrible prank, call our office to discuss the legalities at 904-355-6777.