Million-Dollar Lawsuit for Running Into Apple Store Glass Doors?

People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones or, evidently, have other people come to visit. According to CBS New York, an 83-year-old woman has sued Apple because she accidently ran into one of its glass store doors. The total amount is one million, but I suspect she’ll be paying more in public ridicule than any amount Apple could provide.

Broken Nose, Bruised Ego

Evelyn Paswall from Queens says she broke her nose on the door of the Long Island Apple Store. The Apple Stores have a famously post-modern design, with walls and floors made of a glass-like material.

From CBS New York:

“Paswall claims that she didn’t realize that she was walking into a wall of glass as she approached the store, and says that she broke her nose as a result of the collision. Her suit claims that “The defendant was negligent . . . in allowing a clear, see-through glass wall and/or door to exist without proper warning.”

According to CNET, she wants $75,000 for medical expenses and the remainder of the million dollars for negligence.

Check for Visual Clues

The baffling part here isn’t the high lawsuit price, as it is part and parcel for today’s litigious society, but the fact that she is blaming Apple for missing obvious signs that she was running into a building:

• Apple Stores traditionally have silver-gray metal handles on the doors, which contrast the see-through material.
• Apple Stores have their own tiling, which differs from the outside sidewalk that ends at the door.
• Apple Stores are well-lit places, giving the glass exterior a reflective shine and making it easier to see where a wall is located.

The facts just don’t add up, even for an elderly person. Considering we haven’t heard of many folks running into Apple doors, it’s hard not to think that this isn’t a personal problem, not a design problem.

As of Saturday warning strips had been posted on the glass at Apple’s Manhasset store.