> > > Duh! Only in America!
> > > > > > > >
> The Stella Awards - America at its very best! >
> > > > > 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 > case > >
> inspired an annual award - Thee "Stella" Award - for the most
frivolous > > > lawsuit
> > > in the U.S. >
> > > > > The ones listed below are
clear candidates. All these cases 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 $780,000 by a jury of > >
> her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who
was > > > running inside a furniture
store. The owners of the store were > > >
understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving
> > > little ba$tard 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. > > > Mr.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 > > >
neighbour'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 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. 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.
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