Everyone has heard about the man who received $3 million for his three-day erection, right? This is just another example of frivolous lawsuits, right? Wrong.

The first sentence of the article is as follows: "A man who had to endure a three-day erection after penile surgery was awarded $3 million by a jury two years ago, but an appeals court ordered a Monmouth County judge to lower the award."

It's implied by the first sentence that the entire reason that the man got $3 million was because of a three-day erection. However, reading further in the article shows that his penis is disfigured, and that he cannot have sex.

Gentle slants by the media outlets help contribute to the public's perception that lawsuits - especially medical malpractice lawsuits - are out of control.