MAKE THEM PAY: Ted Frank’s turnaround: Driving a class action for motorists ‘imprisoned’ by a protest. “Frank and his team brought the case in 2024 on behalf of drivers stuck for hours in a traffic jam while pro-Palestinian protesters blocked a highway near Chicago’s O’Hare airport. On its website, opens new tab, Hamilton Lincoln says they sued to hold the activists accountable and ‘prevent further politically-motivated attacks in the future.’ The filing made the novel argument that the motorists were falsely imprisoned in their cars and sought $36 million in damages for thousands of drivers.”
I approve. That said, beyond the intentional tort of false imprisonment, when you perform an illegal action, you should be responsible for the foreseeable consequences — missed flights, etc. It is not simply a “traffic jam” but deliberate infliction of harm on third parties for political reasons.