ripleysmom
Lucas and Ripley's mom!
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2000
- Messages
- 5,499
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 - The
"Stella" Award - for the most frivolous lawsuit in the U.S. The ones listed
below are clear candidates. All 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 inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were
understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving little
******* 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 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 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.
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.
Now for the lecture part folks!!
That list of lawsuits won is why every American should do their duty and not try to avoid jury duty.
As much as there are many jokes vilifying attorneys, it is not the attorneys who award the verdicts.
If there had been people with brains on those juries, none of those verdicts would have been reached. I know they wouldn't have received squat from me.
Please keep that list in mind the next time you get a notice regarding jury duty. Please keep OJ in mind the next time you get a jury duty notice.
Thank you!!
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 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 inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were
understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehaving little
******* 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 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 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.
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.
Now for the lecture part folks!!
That list of lawsuits won is why every American should do their duty and not try to avoid jury duty.
As much as there are many jokes vilifying attorneys, it is not the attorneys who award the verdicts.
If there had been people with brains on those juries, none of those verdicts would have been reached. I know they wouldn't have received squat from me.
Please keep that list in mind the next time you get a notice regarding jury duty. Please keep OJ in mind the next time you get a jury duty notice.
Thank you!!
