Psy
Master Of Orion
In Europe we often think that the culture in the US can be somewhat special. No in a bad way but in a funny way. 
I bet you Americans often think the same of us. This is not to offend anyone, so please don't send me a lawsuit 
One reason is:
The "Stella" award ranks up there with the Darwin awards. Stella Liebeck is
the 81 year old lady who spilled coffee on herself and sued McDonalds. This
case inspired an annual award - The "Stella" Award - for the most frivolous
lawsuit in the U.S.
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
brat 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: 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
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 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 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 handbooks on the back of this
court case, just in case there are any other complete morons buying their
vehicles.)
Cheers
I bet you Americans often think the same of us. This is not to offend anyone, so please don't send me a lawsuit One reason is:
The "Stella" award ranks up there with the Darwin awards. Stella Liebeck is
the 81 year old lady who spilled coffee on herself and sued McDonalds. This
case inspired an annual award - The "Stella" Award - for the most frivolous
lawsuit in the U.S.
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
brat 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: 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
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 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 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 handbooks on the back of this
court case, just in case there are any other complete morons buying their
vehicles.)
Cheers
) named after the coffee fool.
