...like some darwin awards...i suspect about 70% of these are urban myths or 
just fun little, "what if" stories. one only has to look at the 
implausability of the scenarios...not the lawsuits.
drsebby.
----Original Message Follows----
From: "David McFadzean" <david@lucifer.com>
Reply-To: virus@lucifer.com
To: "virus" <virus@lucifer.com>
Subject: virus: Fw: TCList: The Stella's (fwd)
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 14:50:09 -0600
 > The Stella Award
 >
 > In 1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $ 29 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 ones listed below are the
 > 2000 Stella Award candidates.
 >
 > 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 brat was Ms. Robertson's son.
 >
 > June 1998: 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.
 >
 > October 1998: 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.
 >
 > 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 its owner's fenced 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.
 >
 > May 2000: A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay
 > Amber C Larson 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 a moment earlier during an argument.
 >
 > 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.
 >
 > A man, was stopped  by police in Vermont. After running
 > his name, it came back that there were warrants for his
 > arrest from Florida. Before the police could arrest him, he
 > fled into a nearby forest (in the middle of winter). The
 > police searched for him, but were unable to find him. Three
 > days later, the suspect turns himself in to the police and
 > was taken to the hospital with frostbite. He ended up
 > having several fingers and toes amputated. He is now suing
 > the police. Why? The police didn't look for him hard
 > enough!
 > He stated in an interview, 'If they had searched harder,
 > they would've found me'.  He's accusing the police of
 > dereliction of duty leading to his loss of limbs.
 >
 > 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.)
 >
DrSebby.
"Courage...and shuffle the cards".
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