Lawsuit Over Lip Balm Named The Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of 2019

A lawsuit over the tiny amount of lip balm at the bottom of the tube glides to the number one spot on the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s (ILR) list of the Top 10 Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2019. This year’s list also features lawsuits over labeling on vegan butter, the popular Fortnite video game, and a poster advertising the television show Dexter.

“While lawsuits over lip balm, chocolate or ice cream are funny, frivolous lawsuits are a serious problem that affect everyone,” said Institute for Legal Reform Chief Operating Officer Harold Kim. “A recent study found that the U.S. spends $429 billion on civil lawsuits—or more than $3,000 per household. That’s no laughing matter.”

The Top 10 Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2019 from FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org are:

1. Woman Sues Blistex Over Lip Balm Packaging (Belleville, IL)
2. Trial Lawyers’ Expert Witness Falls Apart on the Stand (San Francisco, California)
3. Trial Lawyers Have a Cow Over Vegan Butter Labeling (Brooklyn, New York)
4. Woman Sues New York City Over “Scary” Poster Promoting Dexter (New York, New York)
5. California Coffee House Sued Over Warning Labels (Pasadena, California)
6. Customer Sues Friendly’s Ice Cream Over Vanilla Ingredients (Brooklyn, New York)
7. NBA Player’s Lawyers Tried to Game the System (New Orleans, Louisiana)
8. Gamer Sues Fortnite Over Dance Competition Entry (Los Angeles, California)
9. Dog Owner Gets Sued for Online Review (DeLand, Florida)
10. Man Sues Godiva over Labeling (Washington, DC)

ILR asked followers of the Faces of Lawsuit Abuse Facebook page to pick which lawsuit they thought was the most ridiculous. The list reflects the posts with the most likes, shares, comments, clicks, and other engagements from November 2019 through early December 2019.  

ILR also released two highlight videos, asking people in New York City which lawsuit they thought is the most ridiculous lawsuit of the year.

The Faces of Lawsuit Abuse campaign is a public awareness effort created by ILR to highlight absurd and ridiculous lawsuits filed against businesses, families, and communities across America and around the world.

ILR’s mission is to champion a fair legal system that promotes economic growth and opportunity.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.