$1 Million for a Slip and Fall??

Want to know what's wrong with our tort system?  Here you go:

A couple want more than $1 million from Irvine for a trip-and-fall accident they say resulted in serious injuries and emotional trauma.

In a legal claim filed last month, Janet Saleh says she was walking in December near the intersection of Shorebird and West Yale Loop when she tripped over an uneven section of sidewalk – 1.5 inches of height difference, she says.

"That height difference presented a dangerous and defective condition of public property," the claim says, "especially because this portion of the sidewalk was in a shadow and there were flowers and leaves obfuscating the existence of the height difference from the view of pedestrians using the sidewalk."

The Salehs could not be reached for comment, and city officials declined to comment.
Saleh says she suffered torn knee cartilage, bruises, foot pain and "exacerbation of existing low back injury/condition." She's seeking $50,000 for medical bills, $750,000 for pain, suffering and disfigurement, and an unspecified amount for lost earnings.

Husband Charles Saleh wants $250,000, saying in the claim that he "observed the injury and suffered emotional distress because of the observation."

"He also suffered the loss of his wife's consortium," the claim says.

There are so many rude jokes that come to mind.

Pain/suffering/emotional distress claims are pure bunk. They need to be stricken from our tort system. If the city's negligent, pay for the medical bills and fix the sidewalk. All that other stuff is crap.