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Stella awards...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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.
Now, we have the Stella Awards given to the individuals who win the most frivolous lawsuits ever. The Stella Awards are 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. The following are candidates for the award:
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 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 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, 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 up, 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 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 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.
5. December 1997: A 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 boy-friend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.
6. December 1997: Kara Walton of Clamont, 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.
And, a recent addition. Jan 2002.
A man was stopped by police in Vermont. After running his name, it came back that there were warrants for his arrest from Florida. Before the police could arrest him, he fled into a nearby forest (in the middle of winter). The police searched for him, but were unable to find him. Three days later, the suspect turned himself in to police and was taken to the hospital with frostbite. He ended up having several fingers and toes amputated. He is now suing the police. Why? The police didn't look for him hard enough! He stated in an interview, 'If they had searched harder, they would've found me'. He's accusing the police of dereliction of duty leading to his loss of limbs.
And the question had been asked concerning the state of society. Frivolous litigation, the "McDonald's Drive Through Lottery System" state of mind - the poverty of individual responsibility and/or accountability - is as alive in the US as in Britain.
Woe be unto us all...
[ 25-04-2002: Message edited by: Thanatos...AGAIN ]
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Comments
What do you think should be done Thanatos?
However, we only got the bare facts in those cases. Some were clearly ridiculous but without knowing the prosecution's evidence we can't say for sure.
For example, the hubcap one. Too much money yes. But the car driver was clearly negligent when he drove off without checking behind him, or looking at his mirrors. It doesn't matter that the other guy was stealing the hubcaps at the time - he could have been looking for his cat, or his son's frisbee, whatever...it's irrelevant because it was a separate 'crime'.
I remember from reading Bill Bryson of the woman at Disney Land.
Her car was broken into, so she and her grandchildren were taken behind the scenes to be looked after until the police arrived. She sued Disney for the mental anguish caused to her grandchildren by seeing Mickey mouse was only a man in a suit.
I hate compensation culture, it makes me sick. Especially where the "victim" was obviously a victim of his own stupidity. I think people claiming compensation for trivial reasons should be jailed for contempt of court and wasting police/court time.
I especially hate the adverts we have here on Sky TV. "Have you been the victim of your own negligence? Have you walked into a sign post or tripped on some horse muck in a field? Did you stub your toe on somebody's shin? If so, come to us and we'll make you rich".
Personally? The awards should be vacated, and the litigant should be held accountable for all costs incurred.
Priced a motorcycle helmet lately? That $400 helmet should cost no more than $60, but the liability insurance premium has placed the tab many times higher. Someone has to pay for it, and it ends up being the consumer. We ALL pay a portion of that bill, and it has MUCH to do with the rate of inflation, Product liability being what it is, US manufacturer's ceased building helmets because the were SUCCESSFULLY sued so many times by people (or heirs) who were severely injured after hitting the pavement at over 100mph. Gee... can't imagine that! <IMG SRC="eek.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> What do you expect when you park a motorcycle into a telephone pole at 100mph? <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
A woman was recently awarded something like 65 MILLION dollars in Washington State because she rolled a Toyota 4Runner when she was attempting to drive it like a Mini... SU-PRIZE, SU-PRISE!
People suing Big Tobacco for 100's of millions of dollars because they ignored the warning and smoked for twenty years. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS!!! What the hell did you THINK was going on when you woke up caughing your guts out every damned morning???
Those who post here have already heard my perspective on them who would have the silver spoon delivered to them. Much of my perspective of disgust toward them who would refuse personal responsibility and personal accountability for their own decisions/actions comes from the litigious state of the world, and the search for the McDonald's Lottery Ticket...
I saw yesterday that this is getting bigger in the UK after all these adverts trying to get people to sue their bosses at work etc. I saw an advert for a company that specialised in representing firm owners against their workers......
Think of the payrise for nurses if a huge portion of that was still available.
As for the car driver, and the man stealing his hubcaps I have to agree that the driver IS responsible. I know how ludicrous that sounds, but it is his responsibility to make sure that it is safe for his to drive off. What I would have done in that case was award a derisory amount to the thief and make him pay his own costs or award him just enough to cover his costs and nothing more.
You make both points then.
I could have sued 'My little pony' company for millions after I tripped over their dolls house and got a gash on my thigh
<IMG SRC="tongue.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon"> <IMG SRC="tongue.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
Was speaking concerning a SINGLE "fucking smoking idiot" case, not the "States vs. Tobacco", nor class action suits.
I dont think the specifics matter. People who claim compensation are like the "lawyers" who encourage them. Leeches.
People should not be allowed to benefit from commiting crime. <IMG SRC="mad.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
People shouldn't be able to benefit from being a dumbass. They still do somehow. Darwin would be turning in his grave at the thought of people like this being allowed not only to survive, but to thrive. They're like germs on dog shit.