April Fools' Day Pranks: Try Not to Get Sued
It's April Fools' Day and April Fools' pranks will abound today.
While some sites out there are touting April Fools' Day pranks and giving you great ideas on how to trick your neighbors, friends, family and coworkers, you're not going to get that over here.
The fact is that April Fools' Day is supposed to be fun, but if your prank goes awry, you may find yourself in legal trouble.
Not so funny anymore, is it?
Did you know that when it comes to torts, the law doesn't really care whether you intended to injure another person or destroy their property? Nope. As long as you intended your actions, the consequences are your responsibility.
In other words, if you thought it was hilarious to superglue your coworker's hand to his phone, and he has to undergo a procedure to have it removed, you'd be liable for all doctor's bills and the destroyed phone.
April Fools' Day pranks are also not the best idea at your place of employment.
If you absolutely must celebrate April Fools' Day at work, don't do anything permanent to anyone's property, or set up a prank that could potentially injure someone. Also stay away from your boss, underlings, and the office curmudgeon. You may not only be sued, but you may get fired for harassment.
You should still have fun on April Fools' Day--but you should thoroughly consider the consequences of your actions. A little forethought can keep everyone laughing, and even better yet, you out of court.
Related Resources:
- Intentional Wrongs (FindLaw)
- Discrimination & Harassment (FindLaw)
- April Fool's Day Bank Heist is No Joke (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
