A California jury awarded a 16.1 million dollar wrongful death lawsuit award to the family of a woman who died after participating in a Sacramento radio promotion nicknamed “Hold Your Wee for a Wii.”
It was in 2007 that Jennifer Strange participated in the stunt for radio station KDND-FM where she and other contestants were given large quantities of water to consume and told that the last person to use the bathroom would win a Nintendo Wii. Jennifer Strange consumed 2 Gallons of water over a three hour time period before eventually quitting (and finishing in second place). Just a few hours later, Strange was dead – having fallen victim to a condition called hyponatremia, which is when the blood becomes nutrient poor from water intoxication.
When the lawsuit first surfaced, the radio station claimed that Strange had signed release forms and that she should bear some responsibility for her actions. But soon after, tapes of the radio show revealed that numerous listeners had called in warning the station that they might be jeopardizing the contestants health. These calls included one from a nurse who specifically warned the show about water intoxication and its potential deadly affects.
This is ultimately what proved so damaging to the stations defense in court. Yes, Mrs. Strange had signed waivers and was a willing participant, but when the station was warned it might be risking their lives they had a responsibility to stop the stunt immediately.
For more information, see the video below.
