Rep. Kucinich Sues over Olive Pit in Sandwich
Dennis Kucinich's website touts him as "America's Most Courageous Congressman."
Kucinich demonstrated that courage this week, after he demonstrated that he isn't even afraid to go after a restaurant in his own congress after biting into an olive pit during lunch.
According to the Dennis Kucinich lawsuit, he suffered "serious and permanent dental and oral injuries," after biting into an olive pit in a sandwich wrap back in April 2008, USA Today reports. His lawsuit says that the food "was unwholesome and unfit for human consumption, in that it was represented to contain pitted olives, yet unknown to plaintiff contained an unpitted olive or olives."
He is seeking $150,000 in damages. The Dennis Kucinich lawsuit is against Restaurant Associates, the company that runs the cafeteria at the Longworth House Office Building. Kucinich is also suing the parent company as well as two food suppliers. The suit makes two main legal allegations: negligence and breach of implied warranty.
Generally speaking, when someone acts in a careless way and causes an injury to another person, they can be held legally liable for any resulting damages. In this case, Kucinich will argue that the restaurant had an obligation to keep hard objects, such as nails, rocks and olive pits, out of his sandwich.
Dennis Kucinich has been the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 10th congressional district since 1997, and has unsuccessful run for president in 2004 and 2008. Over the years he has developed quite a reputation by attaching himself to a number of little supported causes.
He introduced articles for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. He was the only Democratic candidate to have vote against invading Iraq in 2003. He has also advocated creating a cabinet-level "Department of Peace," and lowering the voting age to 16.
Related Resources:
- Dennis Kucinich sues over sandwich (LA Times)
- Contributory and Comparative Negligence (FindLaw)
- Proving Fault: What is Negligence? (FindLaw)