The United States is full of bizarre lawsuits that range from ridiculous to fictional nonsense. Perhaps you have heard the famous McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit where a woman in 1994 was awarded $160,000 in damages after spilling coffee on her. Or, the more recent but even more absurd story where a South Carolina prison inmate filed a lawsuit against Michael Vick for $63 billion after Vick supposedly “…stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy missiles from Iran.” Of course, the Vick lawsuit was thrown out, but a jury actually awarded a woman $160,000 for her own clumsiness!

We have collected a list of the top 4 most ridiculous court cases of last year from Findlaw.com showcasing some of the most outrageous lawsuits of 2011.

4. ‘Bad Mothering’ Lawsuit: Kids Sued Mom over Empty B-Day Card

Attorney Steven A. Miner helped his kids file a lawsuit against his ex-wife for being a “bad mother.” The kids said that they were subjected to empty birthday cards, clothing budgets, seat belts, and their mother’s “forgetfulness.”

3. Man Sues to Recreate Wedding Photos of Failed Marriage

New Yorker Todd Remis sued his wedding photographer for missing out on the last fifteen minutes of his nuptials. He sought damages to recreate his wedding. The kicker: he was already divorced. He also didn’t know where his ex lived.

2. Man Killed by Train is Sued: Flying Body Parts Injured Woman

Illinois woman Gayane Zokhrabov filed suit against the estate of a deceased man. The deceased 18-year-old had died after getting hit by a train. After he was hit, parts of his body went flying — injuring Zokhrabov. She sued over her injuries.

1. Kidnapper Sues Hostages for Breaching ‘Contract’ to Hide Him

The most outrageous and strangest lawsuit to come out of 2011 might be this one. A convicted kidnapper inColoradosued his former hostages for breaching an oral contract to hide him when he was a fugitive. He sought damages to compensate him for injuries incurred during his arrest.

For further details on these specific bizarre cases read more here

Two weeks ago we asked you to give us your opinion on which one of these Arizona laws is real? View the blog post here

• Arizona Law: Walking on the left side of the street is illegal after dark.
• Maricopa County Law: It is illegal to water plants during the summer.
• Maricopa County Law: No more than six girls may live in any house.

Check back for more trivia questions to see if you can guess the right answer (without using Google of course!) and let us know your answers on Twitter @PhillipsAndLyon

A lien is essentially the right to keep control of an asset that belongs to someone else until the debt is either paid or released. In the case of personal injury claims, a lien is placed against the accident case by an entity such as Medicaid or a health insurance company when the service performed by a hospital or doctor has not been fully paid. With Phillips andLyon’s 35 years of experience, it is possible to negotiate and reduce a lien.

• A “lien” is placed on an accident case by other entities such as Medicaid or Medicare who are trying to seek part of your settlement.
• Entities that may put a lien against you include but are not limited to medical providers, health insurance companies, or worker’s compensation.
• In the state ofArizona, health insurance companies do not automatically have the right to get money back; however, this does not stop them from filing a lien.
• Liens are often filed when doctors are not fully paid for the service they provide, or when a hospital has an outstanding bill.
• Health Insurance companies may file liens if they have a clause in their policy stating that if a policyholder is injured due to someone else’s negligence, then the negligent party needs to pay for the damages.
• Health Insurance companies often file liens when you are given a settlement on a claim that they paid for. They believe that they should be reimbursed for the amount of the claim; however this may not be valid.
• With over 35 years of experience, Phillips and Lyon has negotiated countless liens with hospitals and other entities, resulting in reduced liens for their clients. This gives the client more money in their pocket!

Motorcyclists need to be aware of not only the regular rules of the road, but also distinctive laws made just for them.  After a motorcycle accident, determining the fair market value of your motorcycle is more complicated than simply one number.  The points below are the highlights of Greg Lyon’s motorcycle accident information.

• Greg Lyon, a senior partner at Phillips and Lyon, is an avid motorcyclist. Because of this, he is aware of the types of defenses that insurance company lawyers may use to avoid paying a claim.
• Motorcycle accident claims represent different issues than those of a car accident case.
• Knowledge of helmet laws, the geometry of a motorcycle, and the way modifications affect the handling of a bike are a few of the areas of expertise that are often times used in the handling of these claims.
• Philips and Lyon knows which doctors can and will await payment until after the case is over.
• Phillips and Lyon are not only experienced attorneys; they also care about their clients and want to see them receive the most compensation for their injuries.

After you’ve been the victim in any accident, paying the full price for a Personal Injury Attorney is the last burden that you want to endure.  Phillips and Lyon works hard to offer these discounted fees detailed in the video summary below.  Additionally, clients of Phillips and Lyon only pay their costs if the case is won. No recovery, no fees!

• The most commonly charged fees among attorneys in the personal injury field are about 33%.  If your case does not settle and proceeds to litigation, it is common that the fee is then raised to 40%.
• Phillips and Lyon offers a discounted fee of only 25%, if found through the Internet and the case is settled without a lawsuit.
• Additionally, the only time the client pays the client costs is when Phillips and Lyon wins the case. If the case is not won, than the client is charged nothing.
• Unlike other major law firms, every case at Phillips and Lyon is supervised by either Mr. Phillips or Mr. Lyon, the senior partners.