Please tell me these aren't true!
Feb 10, 2013 07:31:24 #
rogerl
Loc: UK (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)
Obviously having originated in America, these are now circulating in the UK; please, please tell me that none of them is true!
Stella Awards
It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico, where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.
Here are the Stellas for the past year:
* SEVENTH PLACE *
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
* SIXTH PLACE *
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbour ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbour's hubcaps.
* FIFTH PLACE *
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish. Keep scratching. There are more...
* FOURTH PLACE *
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbour's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
* THIRD PLACE *
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. Whatever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?
* SECOND PLACE *
Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000.... Oh yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.
Ok. Here we go!!
* FIRST PLACE *
This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?
She got $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
Stella Awards
It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico, where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.
Here are the Stellas for the past year:
* SEVENTH PLACE *
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
* SIXTH PLACE *
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbour ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbour's hubcaps.
* FIFTH PLACE *
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish. Keep scratching. There are more...
* FOURTH PLACE *
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbour's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
* THIRD PLACE *
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. Whatever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?
* SECOND PLACE *
Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000.... Oh yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.
Ok. Here we go!!
* FIRST PLACE *
This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?
She got $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
Feb 10, 2013 07:55:12 #
Urban legend. Started back in the 70s when cruise control was invented and put on some vehicles.
Sounds good though doesn't it ?
But in the states, there are law suits on everything. You see the stupid things all the time. A neighbor will sue his best friend because he slipped on ice on the neighbors sidewalk and broke his arm. This would be at 5:30 in the morning walking his dog right after an ice storm and nobody knew it was coming. STUPID STUFF.
Sarge69
Sounds good though doesn't it ?
But in the states, there are law suits on everything. You see the stupid things all the time. A neighbor will sue his best friend because he slipped on ice on the neighbors sidewalk and broke his arm. This would be at 5:30 in the morning walking his dog right after an ice storm and nobody knew it was coming. STUPID STUFF.
Sarge69
Feb 10, 2013 09:15:51 #
Just so you will know the truth about the Stella Liebeck lawsuit...
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm
Feb 10, 2013 10:04:03 #
These are urban legends. Some of them including the Winnebago one go back a couple of decades. It's silly season when someone drags them up again, even though our court system is a mess.
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
Feb 11, 2013 05:49:09 #
erniehatt
Loc: Queensland Australia
PrairieSeasons wrote:
These are urban legends. Some of them including the Winnebago one go back a couple of decades. It's silly season when someone drags them up again, even though our court system is a mess.
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
WRONG, the Queen now pays taxes, because of the economy she herself elected to do so.
Feb 11, 2013 07:52:14 #
PrairieSeasons wrote:
These are urban legends. Some of them including the Winnebago one go back a couple of decades. It's silly season when someone drags them up again, even though our court system is a mess.
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
No, it isn't true. The Royal family costs us about 50p per head of population (60 Million = £30M). They pay tax on all their income from land rent, company profits etc. which amounts to about £13M.
Are they worth the remaining £17M that they cost? Ask the hoards of Americans (and hundreds of other nationalities) that flock to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle etc. every Summer. Ask the business that benefit from Royal tours that drum up trade for the country.
Being an hereditary arrangement, we don't have to vote for our Monarch every 4 years or so, with all the cost involved in that! All-in-all we believe it's a bargain. BTW how much does your President cost you?
Feb 11, 2013 08:18:56 #
Feb 11, 2013 08:30:44 #
jasman wrote:
Just so you will know the truth about the Stella Liebeck lawsuit...
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm
I used to talk about this case in a course I was teaching a couple of years ago. View people bother to look up the actual details of the course so my hat is off to you my friend!
Interesting fact: The final settlement of $480,000 was equal to the amount of coffee sales in the McDonalds chain for one day. They still serve the take out coffee at 185 degrees only now there is a warning label on the cup.
Feb 11, 2013 08:37:02 #
ted45 wrote:
quote=jasman Just so you will know the truth abou... (show quote)
I'm sure you'll find that most of the cases cited here will not stand up to scrutiny, like the Liebeck suit. You'll be pleased to learn that you're not alone in this world, we have similar stories abounding in our press, most of which would appear perfectly reasonable if all the facts were presented (which they never are!)
Feb 11, 2013 09:21:13 #
Feb 11, 2013 09:40:35 #
krispix wrote:
quote=PrairieSeasons These are urban legends. So... (show quote)
Right now - TOO FRIGGING MUCH !!!!
Sarge69
Feb 11, 2013 10:41:44 #
PrairieSeasons wrote:
These are urban legends. Some of them including the Winnebago one go back a couple of decades. It's silly season when someone drags them up again, even though our court system is a mess.
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
It's almost as silly as the American belief that the English would spend £40 or £40 million a year to support a royal family that contributes nothing to the economy or culture of the place. Please tell me that isn't true!
:thumbup: :thumbup:
Feb 11, 2013 10:43:39 #
erniehatt wrote:
quote=PrairieSeasons These are urban legends. So... (show quote)
But how much does she pay? After all, doesn't she has assets in the bazillions? with all those crown jewels, homes all over the world, etc. I suspect she is like the rich here-write off 90% and put the rest in off shore accounts! :mrgreen:
Feb 11, 2013 12:15:12 #
krispix wrote:
quote=PrairieSeasons These are urban legends. So... (show quote)
I really think we should compare apples to apples:
President = Prime Minister
?????? = Queen
Oh we don't have anyone to compare to the Queen. Oh darn you're one up on us! Elected or not.
Feb 11, 2013 12:53:31 #
sarge69 wrote:
Urban legend. Started back in the 70s when cruise control was invented and put on some vehicles.
Sounds good though doesn't it ?
But in the states, there are law suits on everything. You see the stupid things all the time. A neighbor will sue his best friend because he slipped on ice on the neighbors sidewalk and broke his arm. This would be at 5:30 in the morning walking his dog right after an ice storm and nobody knew it was coming. STUPID STUFF.
Sarge69
Sounds good though doesn't it ?
But in the states, there are law suits on everything. You see the stupid things all the time. A neighbor will sue his best friend because he slipped on ice on the neighbors sidewalk and broke his arm. This would be at 5:30 in the morning walking his dog right after an ice storm and nobody knew it was coming. STUPID STUFF.
Sarge69
This actually happened in Arizona to a Saudi prince who was there for pilot training. He purchaced an RV. On the weekend to took his new RV out to see Arizona. Apparently he equated cruise control with auto pilot because he set it and got up to make something to eat. the obvious then happened.
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