SamppaFIN
19.09.2002, 14:23
And lawyers want to know why everyone dislikes them so? The "Stella"
awards
rank up there with the Darwin awards. Stella Liebeck is the 81-year-old
lady who spilled coffee on herself and then sued McDonalds. This case
inspired an annual award. The "Stella" Award for the most frivolous
lawsuits in the U.S. The following are this year's candidates:
1. January 2000:
A jury of her peers awarded Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas $780,000
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 bastard was Ms.
Robertson's
own 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:
A Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania was leaving a house he had
just
finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage
door to go up since the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He
couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the house and
garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation. Mr.
Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He existed on
a
case of Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry 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, Arkansas 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,
Pennsylvania $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:
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, sit down & relax, 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 couldn't actually do this when setting the cruise
control. He was awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnie. Winniebago
immediately changed their handbook after losing this court case to inform
drivers to "please remain in the drivers seat and continue to drive their
vehicle, after setting the cruise control," just in case there were any
other complete morons out there who wanted to try the same idiotic thing.
awards
rank up there with the Darwin awards. Stella Liebeck is the 81-year-old
lady who spilled coffee on herself and then sued McDonalds. This case
inspired an annual award. The "Stella" Award for the most frivolous
lawsuits in the U.S. The following are this year's candidates:
1. January 2000:
A jury of her peers awarded Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas $780,000
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 bastard was Ms.
Robertson's
own 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:
A Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania was leaving a house he had
just
finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the garage
door to go up since the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He
couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the house and
garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation. Mr.
Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He existed on
a
case of Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry 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, Arkansas 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,
Pennsylvania $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:
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, sit down & relax, 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 couldn't actually do this when setting the cruise
control. He was awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnie. Winniebago
immediately changed their handbook after losing this court case to inform
drivers to "please remain in the drivers seat and continue to drive their
vehicle, after setting the cruise control," just in case there were any
other complete morons out there who wanted to try the same idiotic thing.