Stella Award Nominee

**jcanavera** · 01-29-2003, 02:11 PM

It's time once again to consider the candidates for the 2003 Stella
Awards. The Stella's are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonald's. That case inspired the Stella Awards for the most uniquely successful lawsuits in the United States for last year. Actually, joint awards should be given to the plaintiff attorneys and the flaming idiots on the juries who awarded anything at all to these morons--who deserved NOTHING!!!!

This year's favorite could easily be Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mr. Grazinski purchased a brand new 32- foot Winnebago motor home. On his first trip home, having driven onto the freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly, the RV left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the owner's manual that he couldn't actually do this. The jury awarded him $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. The company actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit, just in case there were any other complete morons buying their recreation vehicles.

Jack

startrekker2001 · 01-29-2003, 02:53 PM

My vote would be for the jury that didn't recognize the lunacy of the suit and awarded 1.75 million dollars to Mr Grazinski. The lawyers and brain dead jurys are killing free enterprize. They destroyed the private aviation sector, they are forcing doctors out of their practices, and now they are working on the RV industry.

God save us from morons and greedy lawyers. Justice is supposed to be blind, not stupid.

Vic

John · 01-29-2003, 04:56 PM

Jack,

Just because the jury awarded him that, doesn't mean he's going to get it.

I've found that the appeals courts throw crap like this out.

I sure hope so-John

Chas · 01-29-2003, 05:07 PM

Is this for real?

Sounds like something I heard from my grandpa when he was b.s.' ing me years ago, kinda like an urban legend.

Chas

**jcanavera** · 01-29-2003, 05:12 PM

Chas,
One of our instructors here at the College is having her legal class look up this case, and others that I didn't post here to see if they are on the up and up. I, like you thought this might be one of those Internet stories that pop up from time to time. I'll let the forum know if we get confirmation on this. She is giving the assignment tonight so I'll know in about a week.

Regards,

Jack

InsideOut · 01-29-2003, 07:31 PM

Well, I found this one to be in the urban legend catagory...

Check out: www.snopes2.com click on "Automobiles", then "Techno File", then "Cruise Control"

What you'll find here are the variations on the same story that have circulated since the 70's when cruise control first came out.

I think this website is kinda cool just to spend some time reading all the ridiculous things that go around....have fun!

Shari

j54mark · 01-29-2003, 08:49 PM

I had been wondering if it could have been as long ago as the 70's when I first heard that story. Thanks for the confirmation.

Mark

**jcanavera** · 01-30-2003, 09:23 AM

Nifty site Shari! This will be really interesting now to see what the law students bring back from their research. I'll be looking forward to their information.....and passing this site on to the instructor.

Jack

John · 02-17-2003, 05:16 PM

Jack,

Did you happen to find out the low down on this?

Thanks-John

**jcanavera** · 02-17-2003, 05:50 PM

John,

I talked to the instructor last week and the students don't have to turn anything in until this week or so. Based on Shari's site referrel, the story is most likely a myth so it will be interesting to see what the students bring in. I did tell the instructor that it looked like the story was bogus. I'm sure she will be looking at the results carefully.

Regards,

Jack

John · 02-17-2003, 06:51 PM

Jack,

Thanks for following up!

John