Newsgroup: it.fan.marco-ditri
Titolo: Welcome to the USA

(attribution unknown)
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 you listed below are clear
candidates.
 
All these cases are verging on the outright ridiculous and yet (in the
good old USA) with the right attorney you could win anything! (see OJ
trial)
 
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 prick was Ms. Robertson's son.
 
2.    June 1998: A 19 year old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and
medical expenses when his neighbour 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 neighbour's hubcaps.
 
3.    October 1998: A 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 neighbour's beagle. The beagle was on a chain in it's 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 neighbouring 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.
-- 
ciao, | (Ri)scoprire fidonet: | Chissa` cosa si prova a liberare
Marco | 
http://bbs.bofh.it
    | la fiducia nelle proprie tentazioni. (F.D.A.)

]

 messi assieme... Dovrebbero prederla come esempio
Gia'... cmq mi mangio le mani: ho perso una chance di diventare ricco
:-(

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