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 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.