Airline sued for 5 million over lost cat

[chperplt]

Expensive cat


SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- A couple sued Air Canada for $5 million, claiming the airline lost their tabby cat during a flight from Canada to California.

Andrew Wysotski and Lori Learmont, formerly of Oshawa, Ontario, traveled to San Francisco with their 15-year-old cat, Fu, and four other cats last August.

They claim Air Canada, its cargo-handling company and San Francisco International Airport personnel are guilty of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, fraud and false advertising.

"It's not about the money," Wysotski said. "It's more the attention to the problem than the money."

The August 16 filing in Superior Court said the couple got airline-approved plastic crates for the cats before they boarded the flight at Pearson International Airport, outside Toronto, Canada.

Upon arrival in San Francisco, Fu's crate had a large hole in a corner, the front door was broken and open, and the cat was gone, the claim said.

An Air Canada spokeswoman said that because of pending litigation, it "will confine its comments to legal proceedings."

The couple's attorney is David Blatte, an animal rights lawyer who represented a couple in their fight to save Hera, one of two dogs that attacked and killed a woman in front of her San Francisco apartment.

 

[Dep676]

Did you say a Cat?

Well that is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Just take a look outside and find another stupid cat. Hurry though before it becomes road kill and dinner for a crow.

 

[uwochris]

It's not about the money, my a$$!! $5 million for a cat... come one!!

 

[HexWRX]

Fu's crate had a large hole in a corner, the front door was broken and open, and the cat was gone

\
I have cats, and thought this was a real case of a lost cat (like lost luggage- just misplaced) But its not. it's BS!!

I have had several of those plastic pet cages.And I have seen that exact kind of damage several times. Let me explain -

If they have the all their screws in place, you can sit on top of the cages and they'll easily support your weight because the screws hold the plastic panels together. If screws are out, or not threading, the points where the area where the plastic isnt being supported by screws buckles, and leaves openings between the bent plastic. Enough missing screws, or missing screws in the wrong place, can cause this to happen where the door is, and the plastic doorway warps, and the door pops out out and busts the latch. If Heavy bags fell or were set on top of a crummy cage like that, it could do exactly what those lawsuit-crazy canadian scumbags' cage did.

 

[hyper]

Has nothing to do with the cat

It has everything to do with another excuse for someone to get rich off of an unfortunate situation. Another money-hungry lawyer willing to make another ridiculous case for a ridiculous amount of money in the hopes that an airline will roll their eyes and settle out of court, for it is cheaper to do so than to fight it. In the end, the laywer gets his third of a somewhat reduced sum (see they know this is what will happen, thus the ridiculously high suit), the plaintiff walks minus one cat and enough money to send their kids to college and then some after some smart investments (it takes money to make money). In addition, our tax money pays for the court system to operate and entertain these ridiculous lawsuits and the airline writes it off and thus charges higher ticket prices to recover costs from said lawsuits and puts further rules and restrictions on pet carriers and the such. This leaves the rest of the general public b*tching about the airlines, their high ticket prices, and the new stronger and more expensive pet carrier that we have to go out and buy while betsy sits and cries over her lost p*ssy while grinning out of the corner of her mouth and watching the current economic situation turn around and rise, carrying her newly purchased stocks with it. Complements of Air Canada and a B.S. lawyer with the unshamed taste for B.S. lawsuits.

You know........now that I think about it, stubbed my toe on the way off of the airplane the other day......boy, it really hurts....mmmmmmm....

 

[jetexas]

Cats are nothing but furry rodents. Just cruise the dumpsters and pick ya up another one. 5 million?? I'm sure they'll claim someone spilled hot coffee on it too.

 

[Fast8945]

My cat was an awesome cat. But unfortantly stomach cancer got to him, before he could live happily and was put to sleep. :-( , If that happened to him, i would not sue, Braynz had nine lives and used 10.

 

[Brother Francis]

$$

My Humane Society adopted cat is worth $1200; or more accurately, $300 four times over the course of a summer for the infected wound. I have the vet bills to prove it. Stupid effing cat, stupider effing owner. Next time he gets in a fight he will be worth $75: $35 for the SHOT and $40 to adopt a new effing cat. I'll tell the kids he's lost.

 

[FLpilot]

Okay settle down guys, no one is going to get rich off a lost cat. A few years ago I came across a book called "Dog Law", an entire book dedicated to legal issues surrounding pets. Being an animal lover I was intrigued so I perused through the book and found it fascinating. There were several cases between airlines and pet owners covered, here is what I learned:

Pets are property. Just like your suitcase, sunglasses, laptop, etc. If the airline loses your property you are entitled to whatever value you can prove that property to be worth. If the cat is a stray from the pound that is likely nothing, if you bought it then it is worth whatever you paid for it provided you still have the receipt and can prove it. However here is the catch, airlines limit how much they will pay out for lost property so once you hit whatever the cap is that's it. You can try and sue but you won't get any more then what it says they will reimburse you on your ticket for lost property. You're probably thinking okay fine but what about the "pain and suffering" part, sorry no dice. Again pets are PROPERTY. What this lady is attempting to do with has been tried, many times. I'm surprised she was even able to find a lawyer who would take her case when the law is very clear and there are numerous precedents. One interesting case cited in the book came after an airline killed 5 champion show dogs worth thousands of dollars. (I think they died from heat exhaustion after being left on a hot ramp). The owner sued to recover the value of the dogs and lost, for the reasons cited above. The only way to recover the value of your pet (property) is to purchase travel insurance. This is highly recommended when transporting valuable show animals, etc. So... you can all unwad your panties now and get off your soap boxes, this case will likely be dismissed.


P.S. When I need to travel with my dog, I drive.

 

[hyper]

you can all unwad your panties now and get off your soap boxes, this case will likely be dismissed.

Judge flpilot, sorry, my panties were never in a wad. It's called realistic humor. It's just another example of a ridiculous get rich attempt by the general public. I don't think anyone here is really on a "soapbox" over this.