Show Stella tella Awards The e Auther Unknown rr f Its It's time once again to consider the candidates for the annual Stella Awards The Stellas Stella's are named after 81 year-old year Stella Liebeck who spilled coffee on herself and successfully successfully successfully suc suc- sued McDonalds That case inspired the Stella awards for the most frivolous successful lawsuits in the United States The following are this years year's candidates candidates candidates candi candi- dates 1 Kathleen Robertson of Austin Texas was awarded by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store The owners owners owners own own- ers of the store were understandably understand- understand ably surprised surprised-at at the verdict con con- the misbehaving little toddler was son 2 A year old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won 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 neighbors neighbor's hub caps 3 3 Terrence Dickson of Bristol Pennsylvania was leaving house he had just finished robbing by byway byway byway way of the garage He was notable notable not notable able to get the garage door to go up since the automatic door opener open open- er was malfunctioning He couldn't could could- nt re-enter re the house because the thedoor thedoor thedoor door connecting the house and garage locked when he pulled it shut The family was vacation on and 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 homeowners homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental anguish The jury agreed to the tune of 4 Jerry Williams of Little LittleRock LittleRock LittleRock Rock Arkansas was awarded and medical medic l expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door neighbors neighbor's bea bea- gle The beagle was on a chain in its owners owner's fenced yard The Theaward Theaward Theaward award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have been just a little provoked provoked provoked pro pro- at the time by Mr Williams who was shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun 5 A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster PA after she slipped on a soft drink and broke her coccyx tailbone The beverage beverage bever bever- beverage age was on the floor because Ms Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during during during dur dur- ing an argument 6 Kara Walton of Claymont Delaware successfully sued the- the owner of a night club in a neighboring neighboring neigh neigh- neighboring boring 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 cover charge She was awarded and dental expenses 7 This years year's favorite could easily be Mr Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City Oklahoma Mr Grazinski purchased a brand new foot 32 Winnebago On his first trip home having s driven onto the freeway he set f. f the cruise control at 70 mph and it calmly y left the drivers seat to go into the j back and make himself a cup of D coffee Not surprisingly the RV F T left the freeway crashed and overturned Mr Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him himin i r. r in the owners owner's manual that he couldn't actually do this The jury awarded him plus a anew anew l new motor home The company actually changed their manuals Cv on the basis of this suit just in incase case there were any other complete complete com corn morons buying their recreation atlon vehicles I Jl k J t tOnly tf a f r Only in America O ie t X I t. r J ot ir iI i f f I p 7 |