Excel's Coffee Shop

[iOwnSomeNVEI]

"Stella" Awards"

> > > The Stella awards rank up there with the Darwin awards.
> > > Stella Liebeck is the 81 year old lady who spilled coffee on herself
and
> > > sued McDonalds, winning millions of dollars. This case inspired an
> > > annual award
> > > -
> > > The "Stella" Award - for the most frivolous lawsuits in the US The
> > > following are this year's candidates:
> > >
> > > 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 toddler was Ms. Robertson's son.
> > >
> > > 2. June 1998: A 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 he found, and a large bag of dry dog food. 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 neighbor'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 neighboring 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.
> > >
> > > 7. 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 joined the freeway, he set the cruise
> > > control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's 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. (Winnebago actually changed
their
> > > owner's manuals because of this court case, just in case there are any
> > > other complete morons buying their vehicle.