A woman attempted to take legal action against a weatherman for an inaccurate forecast and ultimately received a settlement of $1,000.
When we consult the weather report in the morning, we seldom place full trust in it.
After all, there have been numerous occasions when the forecast predicted no rain, yet a few showers occurred.
This is why weather forecasts are generally considered predictions rather than absolute facts.
However, according to Kahane Law Office, in 2015, a woman in Israel decided to take legal action against Channel 2 and forecaster Danny Rup for wrongly predicting a sunny day when it was actually rainy and stormy.
The woman sought $1,000 in damages after dressing for sunny weather and being caught in a storm.
She claimed to have caught the flu, missed four days of work, and spent $38 on medication.
Additionally, she argued that the incorrect forecast caused her stress and requested a personal apology from Rup.
You’re probably thinking there’s no way such a lawsuit could succeed, right?
Surprisingly, the TV channel settled out of court, paying the woman the $1,000 she requested and issuing an apology.
This outcome has led many to speculate whether others might follow suit and take legal action against forecasters, and more importantly, whether they might win.
The case was discussed on Reddit, where users shared their opinions.
One user remarked: “It could have been sunny, and if she ran into the person who transmitted the flu to her, she still would have gotten it. If she was dressed warm, she still would have gotten it. Stormy weather does not create flu virus.”
Another user added: “Can confirm, being cold does NOT make you sick.”
A third user commented: “Weatherman could simply counter argue that weather prediction cannot be always correct.”
Others pointed out that settling out of court for $1,000 might have been a cost-effective decision for the television station compared to hiring legal representation.
One user stated: “It was settled out of court. Often businesses will settle out of court, get an agreement that this and any future related issues are settled, and pay a ‘small amount’. $1000 is cheap compared to the cost of paying an attorney to fight it in court.”