I pray for the good of my confidence in man kind that these are not true.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 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! (see OJ trial)
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 neighbour 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 neighbour'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 neighbour'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 neighbouring 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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