Most Ridiculous Lawsuits

**Pitch** · 17 Apr 2002, 10:17 PM

Most of the country has heard of the Darwin Awards given
annually to the individuals who do the most for
mankind by removing themselves from the gene
pool. (Usually in some bizarre, but not totally
unjust, fashion.)

Now, we have the Stella Awards given to the
individuals who win the most frivolous lawsuits ever.
The Stella Awards were named in honor of 81
year-old Stella Liebeck, the woman who won
$2.9-million for spilling a cup of McDonald's
coffee on herself... while driving her car after
she had left the fast "food" supplier.

The following are candidates for the award:

06. December 1997: Kara Walton of Claymont, DE,
successfully sued the owner of a night club 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.

05. December 1997: Philadelphia restaurant was
ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, PA,
$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.

04. October 1999: Jerry Williams of Little Rock,
AR, was awarded $14,500 and medical expenses
after being bitten on the buttocks by his next
door neighbor's beagle. The dog was on a chain in
its owner's fenced-in yard at the time. Mr.
Williams was also in the fenced-in yard. The
award was less than sought because the jury felt
the dog may have been provoked by Mr. Williams
who, at the time, was repeatedly shooting it with a
pellet gun.

03. October, 1998: Terrence Dickson of Bristol,
PA, 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 upwards 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 in the garage
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 a half million bucks.

02. June 1998: 19 year-old Carl Truman of Los
Angeles, CA, 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.

And The Winner Is...
01. January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin,
TX, 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 that the misbehaving little fellow was
Ms. Robertson's own son.

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**amerlop** · 17 Apr 2002, 10:31 PM

Yeah, I got that email forwarded to me about a week ago. Sad isn't it? If we are the best legal system in the world, then it's amazing who these cases can even be brought to judgement. My only guess is that the plaintiff used some loopholes laws that made the judge or the jury overlook the obvious and begrudgingly move for the plaintiff.

**Nash** · 18 Apr 2002, 02:29 AM

oh my gad, man! oh my gad...

**Fe 26** · 18 Apr 2002, 03:22 AM

It probably has to be taken into account juries are made up of people to stupid to get out of jury duty in the first place.

**Pehd** · 18 Apr 2002, 07:10 AM

**Despair** · 18 Apr 2002, 08:47 AM

Damn, Those lawsuits dont make any sense!!!

Giving a robber a half mil, because he stuck in the garage, while trying to frikin rob your house???

**Scarly** · 18 Apr 2002, 10:04 AM

Too much damn political correctness I say

**BioMechanic** · 18 Apr 2002, 01:05 PM

I heard about this one a while ago, and it's still my favorite (sorry I can't remember specifics):

A guy was driving drunk and smashed into a telephone pole, totalling his car, and suffering severe injuries. He successfully sued the city for dangerous placement of the phone pole, and was fully compensated for his vehicle and injuries.

Must have had a helluva lawyer....

I love the Darwin Awards!!!