Judge Rejects Man's Lawsuit Against Movie Theater for Popcorn Injury

A judge has thrown out an insurance broker's lawsuit against AMC Lincoln Square Cinema over a fractured tooth he incurred from an unpopped kernel in a tub of popcorn. 46-year-old Steve Kaplan broke the tooth last year during a screening of Superbad, and wanted the theater to cover the cost of his $1,250 in dental work. Judge Matthew Cooper tossed out the claim yesterday, having some fun in the process: "Until such time as the same bioengineers who brought us seedless watermelon are able to develop a new strain of popping corn where every kernel is guaranteed to pop, we will just have to accept partially popped popcorn as part and parcel of the popcorn-popping process. [Or] resist the urge to devour the bag by the handful in favor of more cautious nibbling by the piece."

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By John Del Signore in Food on September 30, 2008 2:14 PM

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gaycurmudgeon

I once broke a tooth eating a bag of peanuts I purchased at a vending machine at work. Does that mean I can sue my employer? (To be fair, the tooth had a big cavity...)

NannyState

Insurgents from a paramilitary wing of the Orville Reddenbacher Fatah Movement planted that kernel. Dentists the world over have been sounding the alarm over all the carnage they are seeing on a daily basis. But with our military severely strained by commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush Administration has turned a blind eye to this emerging threat, although a near miss with a bag of Pop Secret microwaveable popcorn has had Condoleeza Rice pressing for an immediate response at NSC briefings.

And good luck, #9.

Spirit of 76

Somebody should really invent a gadget that eliminates unpopped kernels. Just a paperboard disk that fits close to the bottom of the tub, with small holes to allow unpopped kernels to fall through. Just jiggle it every so often and you'll be golden. And the concessions stands should love it, too, since it would take up some space at the bottom, meaning you get less popcorn for your $10.

Amanda Harletsch

wallstreet insurance broker's

w0wzers

Could it be my old boss?

Polite New Yorker

Once at the Angelika Film Center, I asked for extra butter on my popcorn. Their popcorn containers were defective, however, and the butter stained my shorts and I had to take the A train home looking like I had just wet myself. Thanks to the inspiration provided by such litigious pioneers as Mr. Kaplan, I will now proceed with my $3.14 billion law suit against this negligent theater.