I think this is true!! Just another case of being paid to be reallllly STUPID!!! [or admitting it] Doris....A Texan in Georgia..... Still shaking the family tree and dodging the nuts after 30+ years! IBSSG ----- Original Message ----- From: "J. Garland" <zippywebgenie@hotmail.com> To: <BLACKSHEEP-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 8:36 AM Subject: [BSChat] Stella award This is the first I seen of this, don't know if they're true or something intended to get passed around to everyone we know <G> But I wouldn't doubt they're true--we've all heard of strange law suits. > > 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.) > > > > > > and you wondered how OJ got off... _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ==== BLACKSHEEP-CHAT Mailing List ==== Creative use of your delete key is encouraged. If you disagree with the subject, CHANGE the subject. ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237