Originally published May 28 2005
Diabetic's claim against Coke thrown out by court
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A German judge who claims Coca Cola's failure to adequately label their product's sugar content caused his diabetes, has lost his lawsuit against the soft drink giant. Hans Josef Brinkmann was told he was responsible for his own intake of sugar, and that Coke's products were clearly labeled, and well known, for their sugar content as evidenced by the "sugary taste of their drink." Forty-eight-year-old Brinkmann was claiming �5,620 ($7,140) in damages and wanted the beverage company to pay his treatment bills.
A German judge who suffers from diabetes failed an attempt to sue soft-drink giant Coca-Cola for causing his condition, reports say.
A court in Essen threw out 48-year-old Hans Josef Brinkmann's claim, ruling that the packaging of Coca-Cola's bottles and cans was clearly labelled with its sugary content.
"It is generally known by consumers that the consumption of products containing sugar can have damaging effects on your health," the judgement said.
Th judges added that Brinkmann had aggravated his condition by drinking Coca-Cola.
"Every consumer knows that Coca-Cola contains a not inconsiderable amount of sugar.
That can be discerned from the sugary taste of the drink," said presiding judge Mathias Kirsten.
It was therefore up to the consumer to regulate his own intake of the drink.
Coca-Cola's German office said it was satisfied with the outcome.
"The court confirmed the generally held conviction that every consumer makes their choice about what they consume on the basis of comprehensive information," said Coca-Cola Deutschland spokesperson Claudia Fasse.
Brinkmann, who presides over the appeal court in the eastern city of Rostock, was claiming �5 620 ($7 140) in damages and wanted Coca-Cola to pay the cost of his medical treatment.
He told the court that between 1994 and 1998 he drank around one litre of Coca-Cola a day and ate chocolate bars on a daily basis because of the "considerable burden" of his work.
He claimed he did not realise the risks of consuming Coca-Cola because the packaging was not clearly labelled.
He estimated he had been consuming 27 kilogrammes of pure sugar every year during that four-year period.
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