( CNN ) -- Dr. Mehmet Oz is being sued for injures sustained by a New Jersey man . Was this person under Dr. Oz ' care ? Was he someone Dr. Oz had spoken with about a medical issue ? Did Dr. Oz , in an uncharacteristic fit of anger , punch the Jersey guy ? Nope . This man is simply one of the millions of people who have watched Dr. Oz on TV over the years . So why is he suing ? Because , the plaintiff claims , he was injured when he tried Dr. Oz ' home sleep remedy known as the `` Knapsack Heated Rice Footsie . '' Shake your head in disbelief all you want , but this is far from the most ludicrous lawsuit we have seen in recent years . Who can forget the Michigan woman who filed a lawsuit in 2011 against the producers of the film `` Drive '' ? Her complaint alleged that she was misled by the movie 's trailer which promised `` Fast and the Furious '' type driving , which , alas , the film did n't deliver . And then there was the lawsuit filed last year against the Dallas Cowboys by a woman claiming she sustained burns on her legs . What did she say the Cowboys did wrong ? She claims they failed to warn her that sitting for an extended period of time on a black bench outside the Cowboys ' stadium on a hot August day could cause burns . More ? Well , while in Tennessee , a couple sued Steak ' n Shake after their son ingested a sauce labeled `` Mega Death Hot Sauce . '' It should be noted that the sauce bottle bears the image of a skull engulfed in flames . And that brings us to Dr. Oz . On his April 17 , 2012 , show , he offered advice about how to sleep better . One suggestion was filling the toe of a pair of socks with uncooked rice . The socks were then to be placed in the microwave and heated until warm . However , Dr. Oz expressly warned viewers , `` Do n't get it too hot , just warm . '' The heated footsie was then to be worn for 20 minutes . The reasoning being that the heated socks will cause blood to be diverted to your feet , which in turn will cool the rest of your body . As Dr. Oz explained , `` you 're going to be able to sleep better because your body has to be cold in order to be sleepy . '' However , the plaintiff claims that he suffered third degree burns from this remedy . How ? Well , he apparently fell asleep with the socks on and did n't realize his feet had been burned until he woke up in the middle of night and tried to walk . The plaintiff also claims that Dr. Oz should have offered a specific warning to avoid using this remedy to people who , like him , have diabetes and hence less feeling in their feet . Let 's be honest : These above lawsuits are at best legally questionable and at worst frivolous . But do n't blame the person seeking the money . Blame the lawyers . Personal injury lawyers have enticed people for years with their TV commercials and ads on the walls of buses and trains telling us that if you have been wronged , you might be entitled to a big cash award or settlement . This is , of course , followed by the line : `` We do n't get paid unless you do . '' So , understandably , people flock to these lawyers with complaints about every imaginable wrong seeking a payday . The lawyers then file lawsuits , hoping for a quick settlement so that they can do as little work as possible before seeing their own payday . Full disclosure : When I practiced law , I represented corporations against lawsuits . Consequently , I 'm a bit biased against plaintiffs ' lawyers . But it 's easy for even a non-corporate lawyer to see that these ridiculous lawsuits give the reputable plaintiffs ' attorneys -- and , frankly , all lawyers -- a black eye . It 's not that I 'm without sympathy for the growing number of lawyers out there struggling to make ends meet . The practice of law has grown increasingly competitive and challenging . I can understand the lure of taking a questionable case that will reap you some media coverage and money . But that 's not a good enough reason to do it . Lawyers need to collectively rein in these types of cases . If they do n't , the government will do it for them under the guise of `` tort reform . '' The new laws that result would in all likelihood make it harder to file a lawsuit and would limit damages in personal injury cases . And this will make it even more challenging for lawyers to earn a living . Worse , these reforms may prevent some truly injured people from receiving the full compensation they deserve because of caps on damages . As for Dr. Oz , I hope that he does n't settle quickly out of court . Instead , I hope they fully litigate this case . In all likelihood he will prevail . But even if the plaintiff does ultimately win , it still will have sent a clear message to plaintiffs ' attorneys who take these legally questionable cases : If you want money , you are going to have to really earn it . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah .
Dean Obeidallah : Dr. Oz being sued by N.J. man who burned his feet on rice in socks . Obeidallah says Oz 's rice sleep aid suggestion gave rapacious lawyers chance to pounce . He says lawyers seeking quick buck take such cases , settle them , give bad name to lawyers . Obeidallah : Frivolous suits boost call for tort reform , hurt lawyers in end , and also injured people .