>We COULD say "Thank whatever, it could only happen in America." But
>is that the case? Most legal systems ane not so different from that
>of the US...
>*******************************************************************

>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 of these cases are
>verging on the outright ridiculous and yet with the right attorney you could
>win anything!
>
>  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
>boy 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, 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 and a large bag of dry dog food he found.
>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
>neighbour's beagle.  The beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced-in
>yard.  The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might
>have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams, who 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 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.
>
>  . . . . . And the winner is:
>
>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 entered 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.)...any of youse done this in yer Vanagons?
********************************************************************

Is there no way to hold courts responsible for their insane actions?