Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 23:51:57 -0700
Reply-To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject: Re: Only in America...??
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?
>
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