STELLA AWARDS

[catsmeat]

Originally, I was going to put these in "The Humour Zone".  But on reflection, I decided that these aren't funny.  Bizarre, maybe.  But not funny.

Most of the country has heard of the Darwin Awards given annually
to the individuals who do the most for mankind by removing
themselves from the gene pool.

Now, we have the Stella Awards given to the individuals who win the
most frivolous lawsuits ever.  The Stella Awards are named in honor
of 81 year-old Stella Liebeck, the woman who won $2.9 million for
spilling a cup of  McDonald's coffee on herself.  The following are
candidates for the award:

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
that the misbehaving little fellow was Ms. Robertson's son.

2.)  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.

3.)  October, 1998:  Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pa., 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
in the garage 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 a half 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 dog was on a chain
in its owner's fenced-in yard at the time.  Mr. Williams was also in the
fenced-in yard.  The award was less than sought, because the jury felt
the dog might have been provoked by Mr.Williams who, at the time, was
repeatedly shooting it with a pellet gun.

5.)  December, 1997:  A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pa., $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, DE, successfully sued
the owner of a night club 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 now, a recent addition.

7.)  January, 2002:  Police in Vermont stopped a man. 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 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.  Go figure.

[juspeachy]

All I can say is, "THAT'S OUTRAGOUS!!!!"

JusPeachy

[radaro]

What the heck is the matter with the US legal system that allows such ridiculous cases to go to court and then what the heck is the matter with the juries in these cases that feel they should award these STUPID people money for their own stupidity!!!

[laundryhater]

Why didn't the suees file an appeal to overturn the incompetant juries' decisions? And where in the U.S. law is it written that people should get awarded for this behavior? Don't the juries have to back their decisions by citing laws?

[patphi]

The sad thing is that the jury in any case does not have to back their decision by law.  It is purely an subjective process.

[etietjen]

Well I've read somewhere that the top two ways most Americans expect to get wealthy is to...

1.  Sue someone who is wealthy
2.  Hit the lottery


That is just too sad.  A friend of mine calls the lottery a "stupidity tax"

[ozbound]

Oh. My. Goodness!! Number 1: No offense, but  it seems to me that more than a few of these fine litigants should do humanity a favor by shooting themselves and subsequently be nominated for Darwin Awards. No. 2: Where DO they find those juries??

[gbuchanan]

Maybe people have more money than sense.  Is there anything that we can't sue for these days?



Gaer T Buchanan
Manchester

[ozbound]

I Have An Addition (and a sad one at that!):

Anita Durrett, who filed a civil suit stemming from a car crash in June. The North Bend (Washington) woman said teen employees of a Woodinville grocery store aggressively chased her after she allegedly stole $266 in groceries. Durrett blames the employees for prompting her to speed off in her car, lose control and crash into a tree, killing her 9-year-old daughter.

Durrett wants to blame others. She ought to take a hard look in the mirror

[blufire21]

What was the outcome of the lawsuit?


Ellen (I think I already know, but I'd like an answer just to make sure) in TX