Thanks to the oversights of the American system of jurisprudence, the final
settlement in the New Mexico scalded crotch case was only a couple hundred
thousand dollars.  This is a case that is commonly brought up as an argument
for tort reform, but the argument tends not to hold water (or hot coffee).

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Grebneff" <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 11:42 PM
Subject: Only in America...??

> >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?
>