Only In America

In 1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $ 2.9 million U.S. in damages to81-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 these cases are verging on the outright ridiculous and yet with theright attorney you could win anything! (see OJ trial)

January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas was awarded 780,000by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running amok inside a furniture store. The owners of the storewere understandably surprised at the verdict, considering the misbehavingtyke was Ms. Robertson's son.

June 1998: A 19 year old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won 74,000 andmedical expenses when his neighbour 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 neighbours hubcap.

October 1998: A Terrence Dickson of Bristol Pennsylvania was exitinga house he finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to getthe garage door to go up, because the automatic door opener wasmalfunctioning. 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 garagefor 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 neighbour's beagle. The beagle was on a chain in it's owner'sfenced-in yard, as was Mr. Williams. The award was less than soughtbecause 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 Carsonof Lancaster, Pennsylvania 113,500 after she slipped on soft drink andbroke her coccyx. The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson threwit at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

December 1997: Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware successfully suedthe owner of a night club in a neighbouring city when she fell from thebathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. Thisoccurred while Ms.Walton was trying to sneak through the window in theladies room to avoid paying the 3.50 cover charge. She was awarded 12,000 and dental expenses.And just so you know that cooler heads do occasionally prevail:Kenmore inc., the makers of Dorothy Johnson's microwave, were found notliable for the death of Mrs. Johnson's poodle after she gave it a bath and attempted to dry it by putting the poor creature in her microwave for,"just a few minutes, on low," The case was quickly dismissed.