i haven't verified these lawsuits as actual true suits but this is still funny (as in wtf funny.)
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Origin of the Stella Awards:
In 1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $2.9 million U.S. in damages to
81-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.
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
the misbehaving little rodent 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, 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, 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, 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.
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, as was Mr. Williams. The award was less
than sought because the jury felt the dog may have been provoked by
Mr. Williams who, at the time, 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 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 just so you know that cooler heads do occasionally prevail:
Kenmore Inc., the makers of Dorothy Johnson's microwave, were found
not liable 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.