A Las Vegas woman who nearly died after being attacked by her former boyfriend in 2010 has filed a lawsuit against the Internet dating site she met him through. The plaintiff says in her complaint that the defendant, Match.com, contributed to her injuries by failing to warn her about the risks of online dating. She is seeking nearly $10 million in damages from the defendant business.
The plaintiff met a man through Match.com and went on a couple of dates with him. She broke up with the man after eight days. Four months later, the man attacked the plaintiff in her garage, stabbing her 10 times and stomping her neck and head. He later admitted that he was angered that the relationship had not lasted. He died in prison in 2012.
According to the lawsuit, Match.com’s advertising misleads users into thinking that meeting potential dates online is safe. The woman’s attorney said that the company creates a “false sense of security” and does not sufficiently warn customers that they could become the victim of violence. Match.com has a list of safety tips on its website that advises users to have the first real-world meeting in a public place and let a friend know where they are going, among other things.
In a statement, Match.com denies negligently contributing to the violent incident. The statement calls the notion that it should pay the plaintiff around $10 million “absurd.” The company noted that the attacker, whom it described as a “sick, twisted” man, had no criminal record at the time.
Source: Reno Gazette-Journal, “Update: Match.com says Vegas woman’s lawsuit is ‘absurd’,” Jan. 22, 2013
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