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Subject: FW: The "Stella" Awards - The American Justice System At Work
Read this if you want to get p.o.'d...
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 - The "Stella" Award -for the most
frivolous lawsuit in the U.S.
The cases listed below are clear candidates....................
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 amuck inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were
understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving little
prick 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 the 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, because 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.
Mr. Dickson 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,
as was Mr. Williams. The award was less than sought because the jury felt
the dog may have been provoked by Mr. Williams who, at the time, 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 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.
7. And just so you know that cooler heads do occasionally prevail: Kenmore
Inc., the makers of Dorothy Johnson's microwave, were found not liable for
the death of Mrs. Johnson's poodle after she gave it a bath and attempted
to
dry it by putting the poor creature in her microwave for, "just a few
minutes, on low." The case was quickly dismissed.
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