Persuasive Speech: Frivolous Lawsuits Are Out of Control

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Specific Purpose Statement: To persuade my audience that frivolous lawsuits are out of control in America

Introduction:

A. Attention Getter

1. We've all heard the story about the woman who spilled scalding hot coffee on herself and then successfully sued McDonald's. But we've also heard reports of burglars suing homeowners after injuring themselves during a robbery. Most of us laugh off these stories as urban legends made to show the ridiculousness of frivolous lawsuits, but you might be surprised, however by how many of these are true.

B.

1. Let's face the facts: In America, anyone can sue anybody over anything at anytime

B. Thesis

1. In order to increase your awareness of how the lawsuit craze sweeping the nation has gotten completely out of control, I am going to provide you with stories and court cases of complete irrationality, otherwise known as frivolous lawsuits.

B. Preview Statement

1. The effects of frivolous lawsuits are far more reaching than just a good joke though; they are in great part responsible for the problems with our health care system, insurance rates, property taxes, prices of products and services, doctor visits, poor patient care, and even job benefits.

II. Body

A. It is not everyday that a robber gets to sue those whom he has robbed from—and actually win.

1. When robber Terrence Dickson was leaving a house he just finished stealing from through the garage, he was unable to get the door open. He was also unable to re-enter the house because the door locked when it closed behind him.

a. The family to whom the house belonged was away on vacation, and Dickson was stranded in the garage for eight straight days.

b. For these eight days, he lived off a case of Pepsi and a large bag of d...

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...perate her seatbelt and drowned.

2. Her parents sued Honda for making a seat belt that their drunken daughter, almost three times the legal alcohol limit, couldn't operate underwater.

3. A jury found Honda 75% responsible for her death and awarded the family $65 million dollars.

III. Conclusion

A. Some of these frivolous lawsuits are hard to believe, and the fact that some of these cases have won are even harder to believe.

B. These cases have taken a toll on American consumers and businesses–as much as $152 billion a year.

C. So next time your going to sue someone, make sure its worth the time and effort, and everyone else's time and effort as well.

Bibliography

Top Ten Frivolous Lawsuits. Legal Zoom. 1 Mar. 2008 .

Stupid Lawsuits. Power of Attorneys. 2002. 1 Mar. 2008 .

Frivolous Lawsuits. Washblog. 1 Mar. 2008 .

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