The "Stella" awards rank up there with the Darwin awards. In
1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $2.9 million in damages to an
81-year-old Stella Liebeck who suffered 3rd degree burns to
her legs, groin, and buttocks after spilling a cup of
McDonald's coffee on herself.
This case inspired an annual award - The "Stella" Award -
for the most frivolous lawsuit in the U.S. The cases
listed below are clear candidates. They are verging on
the outright ridiculous and yet (in the good old USA)
with the right attorney you could win anything.
1.)
January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded
$780,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle
tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store.
The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the
verdict, considering the misbehaving little snot was
Mrs. Robertson's son.
2.)
June 1998: A 19 year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won
$74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over
his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't
notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he
was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.
3.)
October 1998: Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania was
leaving a house he had just robbed by way of the garage.
He was unable to get the garage door open since the automatic
door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't re-enter the
house because the door connecting the house and the garage
locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation.
Mr.Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days.
He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found and a bag of dog
food. He sued the homeowner's insurance, claiming the
situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed
to the tune of half a million dollars.
4.)
October 1999: Jerry Williams of Little Rock was awarded
$14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the
buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The beagle
was on a chain in it's owner's fenced-in yard. The award
was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might
have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr.
Williams who was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.
5.)
May 2000: A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber
Carson of Lancaster, PA $113,500 after she slipped on a soft
drink and broke her coccyx. The beverage was on the floor
because Ms. Carson threw it at her boyfriend 30 seconds
earlier during an argument.
6.)
December 1997: Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware successfully
sued the owner of a night club in a neighboring city when
she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked
out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton was
trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to
avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000
and dental expenses.
And the winner is:
7.)
Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City. In November 2000,
Mr.Grazinski purchased a brand new 32 foot Winnebago motor
home. On his first trip home, having joined the freeway, he
set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers
seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee.
Not surprisingly, the Winnie left the freeway, crashed and
overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him
in the handbook that he could not actually do this. He was
awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnebago. (Winnebago actually
changed their handbooks on the back of this court case, just
in case there are any other complete morons buying their
vehicles.)
I realize we might have seen a couple of these but all together they are fuynny and very sad..
HB
And now to the "Women are from Venus...." Board...heheheh
1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $2.9 million in damages to an
81-year-old Stella Liebeck who suffered 3rd degree burns to
her legs, groin, and buttocks after spilling a cup of
McDonald's coffee on herself.
This case inspired an annual award - The "Stella" Award -
for the most frivolous lawsuit in the U.S. The cases
listed below are clear candidates. They are verging on
the outright ridiculous and yet (in the good old USA)
with the right attorney you could win anything.
1.)
January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded
$780,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle
tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store.
The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the
verdict, considering the misbehaving little snot was
Mrs. Robertson's son.
2.)
June 1998: A 19 year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won
$74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over
his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't
notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he
was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.
3.)
October 1998: Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania was
leaving a house he had just robbed by way of the garage.
He was unable to get the garage door open since the automatic
door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't re-enter the
house because the door connecting the house and the garage
locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation.
Mr.Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days.
He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he found and a bag of dog
food. He sued the homeowner's insurance, claiming the
situation caused him undue mental anguish. The jury agreed
to the tune of half a million dollars.
4.)
October 1999: Jerry Williams of Little Rock was awarded
$14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the
buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The beagle
was on a chain in it's owner's fenced-in yard. The award
was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might
have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr.
Williams who was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.
5.)
May 2000: A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber
Carson of Lancaster, PA $113,500 after she slipped on a soft
drink and broke her coccyx. The beverage was on the floor
because Ms. Carson threw it at her boyfriend 30 seconds
earlier during an argument.
6.)
December 1997: Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware successfully
sued the owner of a night club in a neighboring city when
she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked
out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton was
trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to
avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000
and dental expenses.
And the winner is:
7.)
Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City. In November 2000,
Mr.Grazinski purchased a brand new 32 foot Winnebago motor
home. On his first trip home, having joined the freeway, he
set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers
seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee.
Not surprisingly, the Winnie left the freeway, crashed and
overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him
in the handbook that he could not actually do this. He was
awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnebago. (Winnebago actually
changed their handbooks on the back of this court case, just
in case there are any other complete morons buying their
vehicles.)
I realize we might have seen a couple of these but all together they are fuynny and very sad..
HB
And now to the "Women are from Venus...." Board...heheheh
