Dennis Kucinich Sues House Cafeteria

[apples]

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/01/26/33625.htm

    WASHINGTON (CN) - Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich says he suffered permanent injuries from biting an olive pit hidden in the sandwich wrap he bought at a House of Representatives cafeteria. He demands $150,000.
     The former presidential hopeful sued Restaurant Associates, which operates the cafeteria in the Longworth Office Building, its parent company, Compass Group USA, and food suppliers Performance Food Group Co. and Foodbuy LLC.
     Kucinich seeks damages for negligence, in Superior Court.
     Kucinich says the cafeteria claimed that the sandwich had pitted olives, but after he bit the pit he "sustained serious and permanent dental and oral injuries requiring multiple surgical and dental procedures, and has sustained other damages as well, including significant pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment."
     The congressman says he was injured by the sandwich on April 17, 2008.

I really cannot believe I am reading this. The most terrifying sentence in article...The former presidential hopeful

[natstew]

At least half the scumbags in Washington should be flushed.

[JohnBrowdie]

screw him.  an olive pit isn't a foreign substance in an olive.

[JohnBrowdie]

elf boy settled out of court.  I wonder how much this cost us?  is it legal to seal the damages when it's a public institution, and it was sues by a congressman? 

Ohio: Kucinich Settles Suit Over Olive Pit

Representative Dennis Kucinich said Friday that he settled a lawsuit filed against a Capitol Hill cafeteria over a split tooth he said he suffered when he bit into an olive pit in a sandwich wrap. The lawsuit had sought $150,000 in damages from companies involved with the Longworth House Office Building’s cafeteria. It was settled for an undisclosed amount.

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[Miss Mia]

Not that I'm a Kucinich fan, but his insurance company probably forced him to sue.  Insurance companies routinely deny care if the person is supposed to recoup the cost off someone else (in this case the cafeteria).  He had multiple surgeries to correct this, it apparently split his tooth in half.

[JohnBrowdie]

heavens.  a united states congressman sues over an olive pit, and it's his insurance company's fault?  that's a stretch.   and I think "insurance companies routinely deny care" is just a misleading sentence.  they don't provide care, first of all.  they provide payment.  and I have never heard of an insurance company denying anyone anything because they wanted to force someone to sue someone else.

if that was routine, ambulances wouldn't bother to respond to traffic accidents.  someone is always at fault in a traffic accident, and by the time it worked it's way through court, everyone would be dead.  in fact, if that was true, the cops would respond to traffic accidents and shoot everyone that was injured.  faster and cheaper.  same result. 

personally, I think the whole olive pit story is a big lie, anyway.  I think he bumped his mouth on his wife's elbow, and broke his tooth that way.

[Miss Mia]

Okay, insurance companied deny payment not care.  I know this because I deal with it every time my back acts up.  I have to fill out extra paperwork for my insurance company to tell them it wasn't because of an accident. 

From this article I was wrong, they didn't deny paying for it, none of it was covered by his insurance.  The lawsuit has already been settled.

Update: Dennis Kucinich settles lawsuit over olive pit chomp-down

Rep. Dennis Kucinich said Friday that he's settled a lawsuit he filed against a House cafeteria for injuries he got when bit down on a stray olive pit that wasn't supposed to be in his sandwich wrap.

In a statement, the Ohio Democrat made it clear he didn't see the widely-covered incident as anything to giggle at: The olive pit split a tooth in half, painfully, causing an infection all the way to the bone and requiring the replacement of not one but six teeth -- which his health insurance didn't cover, Kucinich said. (There was also a course of antibiotics that caused all kinds of nasty side effects. See all the grisly details in statement on his congressional Web site.)

The former presidential contender said the settlement he reached with the contractor that runs the Longworth cafeteria and a couple suppliers "reflects the actual out-of-pocket expenses." Oh, and that "I don't want to have to make another dental visit for a very long time."

[HopMe]

It seems like we always want to blame someone else and have someone else pay for our problems...
It's a bummer that he bit too hard on a pit that probably shouldn't have been there but...
As far as I'm concerned, pit happens.

[GeronL]

It seems like we always want to blame someone else and have someone else pay for our problems...
It's a bummer that he bit too hard on a pit that probably shouldn't have been there but...
As far as I'm concerned, pit happens.

I think the coverage embarassed him enough to make him settle. Its the first time I have seen any evidence of shame in a leftist.

[apples]

I think the coverage embarassed him enough to make him settle. Its the first time I have seen any evidence of shame in a leftist.

Really?.... Not! Isn't he the guy who said he wasn't going to vote for Healthcare, then the next day took a ride on AF1 and voted for it. He and his no nothing of embarrassment. They have no shame.

[apples]

From the article

In a statement, the Ohio Democrat made it clear he didn't see the widely-covered incident as anything to giggle at: The olive pit split a tooth in half, painfully, causing an infection all the way to the bone and requiring the replacement of not one but six teeth -- which his health insurance didn't cover, Kucinich said.

Causing a infection? What that tells me he did not go to dentist that same day.

And since when does CONGRESS's not have full dental? Health insurance is not for teeth is it? What am I missing?

[GeronL]

From the article
 Causing a infection? What that tells me he did not go to dentist that same day.

And since when does CONGRESS's not have full dental? Health insurance is not for teeth is it? What am I missing?

These people have their own personal military airlift wing, they get mega benefits that would shock us, and no dental? please.

[JohnBrowdie]

yes.  he sold his vote for a ride on a shiny airplane.

Really?.... Not! Isn't he the guy who said he wasn't going to vote for Healthcare, then the next day took a ride on AF1 and voted for it. He and his no nothing of embarrassment. They have no shame.

[apples]

yes.  he sold his vote for a ride on a shiny airplane.

I also think obi showed him the file on area 51! LOL! Mind you not a shiny airplane. AF1  It has more fan base than most Hollywood stars!

[JohnBrowdie]

It seems like we always want to blame someone else and have someone else pay for our problems...
It's a bummer that he bit too hard on a pit that probably shouldn't have been there but...
As far as I'm concerned, pit happens.