This is not a writer’s award. But some of these stories are better than the ones we create.
For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old
Stella 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 kind of
cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy
Stella 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 kind of
cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy
Here are the Stella Awards for this past year—2012
I’ve changed the names to protect the innocent, me!
* SEVENTH PLACE *
Katherine 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.
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.
Start scratching!
* SIXTH PLACE *
Charlie, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses
when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Charlie apparently
didn’t notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to
steal his neighbor’s hubcaps.
when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Charlie apparently
didn’t notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to
steal his neighbor’s hubcaps.
Scratch some more…
* FIFTH PLACE *
Ted, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , who was leaving a house he had just
burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Ted, 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 Ted 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 Ted $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of
anguish
burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Ted, 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 Ted 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 Ted $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of
anguish
Keep scratching. There are more…
* FOURTH PLACE *
Jeremy, 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 neighbor’s beagle – even though the beagle was on a chain
in its owner’s fenced yard. Jeremy 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 Jeremy had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly
shot the dog with a pellet gun.
when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the
butt by his next door neighbor’s beagle – even though the beagle was on a chain
in its owner’s fenced yard. Jeremy 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 Jeremy had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly
shot the dog with a pellet gun.
Pick a new spot to scratch, you’re getting a bald spot..
* THIRD PLACE *
Anne of Lancaster , Pennsylvania
sued a Philadelphia restaurant. A jury ordered the 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: Anne had thrown it at her
boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being
responsible for their own actions?
sued a Philadelphia restaurant. A jury ordered the 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: Anne had thrown it at her
boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being
responsible for their own actions?
Only two more so ease up on the scratching…
*SECOND PLACE*
Karla, 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 Karla 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.
nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking
out her two front teeth. Even though Karla 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!! Drum roll …
* FIRST PLACE *
This year’s runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mavis of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased a
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, Mavis 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?
$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a
result of this suit, just in case Mavis has any relatives who might also buy a motor
home.
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, Mavis 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?
$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a
result of this suit, just in case Mavis has any relatives who might also buy a motor
home.
Do you have anyone you’d like to nominate?
People are crazy and the jury and judge is beyond nuts. Ugh! You can't make this stuff up.
Thanks for the real people are stranger than fiction.
Oh, Lord…
Yeesh. No editor would let us write this stuff.
@Sandy L Rowland
@ Liz Flaherty
@ Cindy Spencer Pape
My sister sent me the list and I just couldn't believe them.
Have a great Passover/Easter!
These are great. I had to read them to hubby. He is still shaking his head. "Talk about people wasting oxygen," he continues to rant.
It's just nuts what jurors will award, yet I've seen legitimate case get nothing.
Really? Seriously? You're pulling my leg, right Ruth?
We laugh, but it is really a sad indictment of our society when people are rewarded for being so $&@)(;: stupid.
I'm taking all of these with a large grain of salt. I happen to know quite a bit about the MacDonald's case. I also know what happens on appeal.
@Paisley Kirkpatrick
I agree with your husband.
@Marian Lanouette
I know. Some of these cases are just unbelievable.
@Jana Richards
I wish is was pulling your leg. But these are actual cases.
@Sandy
It's not that our society is stupid, it's what our court system will tolerate and deem appropriate for litigation.
@ellaquinnauthor
I'm glad to hear that things may have changed on appeal but for these cases to have gone that far is really a waste of court time and taxpayer money.
These are ALL urban legends, fakes.
See
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_stella_awards.htm
and
http://www.stellaawards.com/bogus.html
Of course every one of these is a hoax as documented by such sites as the actual Stella Awards site:
http://www.stellaawards.com/bogus.html