this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2024
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[–] [email protected] 150 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Mr Cheeks is now suing on eight separate counts, including breach of contract, negligence, infliction of emotional distress, and fraud.

He might not get awarded the full amount for the reason you mentioned, but I think he's probably got a good case on negligence and infliction of emotional distress.

I'm not a lawyer, but I've gotta imagine you can easily make a case that publishing something as life changing as winning $340 million and then backing out would inflict some serious distress. People quit their jobs and divorce spouses for less.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago

This.

He's going to get something for emotional distress.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Is "detrimental reliance" in that list? Like others, I'm skeptical about the "emotional distress" claim, but if he e.g. quit his job or bought a bunch of stuff because he thought he was rich and is now stuck with the consequences, those would be legitimate damages.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Someone on here said they posted the wrong numbers before the drawing occurred. Like saying the numbers for 2/23/24 are 6,16, 24, 30, 36, and 42.

If he purchased the ticket after today when they were posted wrong he may not have a case and be a grifter, if he purchased the ticket prior to them being posted he may have a case.

Looked it up. He bought the ticket after the incorrect numbers were posted while testing something the day before the drawing. He likely bought this ticket after seeing the numbers and he still might get the money.

Apparently when the real numbers posted it automatically shifted the test numbers over and both were listed. Which would trigger you to be confused if you actually checked your tickets after they were drawn.

The only case the lottery company might be able to use is to have their attorney request the call logs and see if the call he made to his friend to tell him about winning occurred before or after the time it was supposed to be drawn at.

Appears something similar happened before in another state and they paid the winnings for their mistake.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The test numbers were posted around noon the day before the drawing. After the drawing the correct numbers showed up and shifted the test numbers over and it sat on the website for 3 days having 2 sets of numbers.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm not a lawyer either, but it's fun to pretend like I am one when arguing on the internet 😁

In order to prevail on a claim for deliberate infliction of emotional anguish, you need to show three elements to the court: that the conduct was (1) extreme and outrageous, (2) intentional or reckless, and (3) causes you severe emotional suffering. See District of Columbia v. Tulin, 994 A.2d 788 (D.C. 2010).

Based on the above, I think he would fail at number 1- a mistake of entering numbers on a website does not constitute "extreme and outrageous" conduct. As for point (2) he obviously loses at the "intentional" part, though there is a question as to whether not correcting the mistake for two days is "reckless." He might win on point (3)- but seeing as how he would need to prove all three elements I don't see him winning on this allegation.

[–] Still 20 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

id personally thing any mistake when dealing with that quantity of money is extreme and outrageous

and 2 would be in the reckless clause not the intentional

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, that means you've left no room for honest mistakes, which is an irrational notion. People are going to make mistakes. Some of them are going to involve mind-boggling sums of money. That doesn't make it either extreme or outrageous per se.

The lottery drawing was on Saturday night. The website's error was corrected on Monday, the first business day after it was discovered. Does that constitute "reckless"? I don't think a reasonable person could conclude so.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Not checking your website when the numbers go "live" to make sure it correctly updated seems pretty reckless to me. If thousands of people are going to be viewing these changes, you at least take a peek when you update it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

That seems like some heavy lifting for what was essentially either a human data entry error, or some failure in automation.

I know it's extremely disappointing, but no one here is really at fault. Clerical errors happen. No process is 100% fool proof.

The most I can see him getting back is whatever he spent as standard preparation for claiming a lottery jackpot, like legal counsel and financial planning consults he may done in preparation. And even then, it would seem like some validation with Powerball was warranted before anything else.