In 1994, a New Mexico jury awarded $2.9 million in damages to 81-year-old Stella Liebeck, who suffered third-degree burns by spilling a cup of McDonald's coffee on herself, inspiring the annual "Stella" award for the most frivolous lawsuit. Here are a few recent candidates:
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, TX, was awarded $780,000 after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running amuck inside a furniture store. It was her own son.
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord while he was stealing the hubcaps.
Terrence Dickson was escaping through the garage of a Bristol, PA, house he had just robbed while the family was on vacation, but was trapped due to a malfunctioning automatic garage door opener. He survived for over a week on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food and then sued the homeowner for "undue mental anguish." The jury doled out half a million dollars.
Jerry Williams of Little Rock, AR, was awarded $14,500 and medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next-door neighbor's beagle. It was less than sought since the jury felt the pet may have been provoked when Williams shot at the chained animal with a pellet gun in the owner's fenced-in yard.
Kara Walton of Claymont, DE, was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses from the owner of a nightclub when she fell from the bathroom window and knocked out her two front teeth trying to avoid the $3.50 cover charge.
But... makers of Dorothy Johnson's microwave were found not liable for the death of her poodle after she attempted to dry it after a bath by putting it in for just a few minutes "on low."
