The Annual "Stella Awards"

[ChrisCantSkate]

> Well, it's time once again to check in on the annual "Stella Awards" to
see how they are coming along.
>
> For those who don't know, the Stella Awards rank up there with the Darwin
> awards. In 1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $2.9 million U.S. in damages to
> 81 year old Stella Liebeck who suffered third degree burns to her legs,
> groin and buttocks after spilling a cup of McDonald's coffee on herself.
>
> This is the case that inspired the annual "Stella Award" for the most
> frivolous lawsuit in the U.S. The cases listed below are clear candidates
> for the award and prove that, with the right attorney, you can win
anything!
>
>
> 1. January 2000:
>
> Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas was awarded $780,000 by a jury after
> breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside
furniture
> store. The owners of the store were understandably surprised at the
verdict,
> considering the misbehaving little tyke was Ms. 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:
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He subsisted 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 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 front-runner is:
>
> 7. November 2000:
>
> Mr. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City. In November 2000 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.
>
> Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the handbook that he
> couldn't actually do this. He was awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnie.
>Winniebago actually changed their handbooks on the back of this court
case, just in case there are any other complete morons buying their vehicles.
>
>