True stories or myths?

“Subject: The Most Frivolous (Successful) Lawsuits in the US

The "Stella" awards rank up there with the Darwin awards. Stella Liebeck is
the
81-year-old lady who spilled coffee on herself and then sued McDonalds. This
case inspired an annual award. The "Stella" Award for the most frivolous
lawsuits in the U.S. The following are this year's candidates:

1. January 2000: A jury of her peers awarded Kathleen Robertson of Austin
Texas
$780,000 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 tyke was Ms. Robertson's own
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: A 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 existed 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 it's 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.

> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >

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 drivers seat to go into the back, sit down & relax, 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 when setting the cruise control.

He was awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnie. Winnebago immediately changed
their
handbook after losing this court case to inform drivers to "please remain in
the
drivers seat and continue to drive their vehicle, after setting the cruise
control"...............”

“myth”

“Myth”

“so its unanimous....
I got that for the second time in an email and wondered...”