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Great Source Write Source: Skills Book Student Edition Grade 8
Gathered from the popular website www.StellaAwards.com, The True Stella Awards is an outrageous collection of America’s most frivolous lawsuits Named for Stella Liebeck, the woman who won a multimillion-dollar lawsuit after spilling hot McDonald’s coffee on herself, humorist Randy Cassingham’s popular website chronicles the hard-to-believe and amusing claims brought before the U.S.courts. The most ridiculous of these lawsuits are given the “honorable” Stella Award. In The True Stella Awards, Cassingham documents the most outlandish of these real-life cases, including:
* The man who legally changed his name to Jack Ass, and then sued MTV because their TV show and movie Jackass infringed on his trademark and demeaned his “good name”
* The songwriter who left a minute’s silence on his record only to be sued by the estate of another songwriter who copyrighted his own “silent” song
* The man who sued an amusement park after being the victim of the ultimate “act of God”: He was hit by lightning while standing next to his own car in the parking lot
Stunning and hilarious, The True Stella Awards reveals the extremes people will go to in the pursuit of “justice.”
* The man who legally changed his name to Jack Ass, and then sued MTV because their TV show and movie Jackass infringed on his trademark and demeaned his “good name”
* The songwriter who left a minute’s silence on his record only to be sued by the estate of another songwriter who copyrighted his own “silent” song
* The man who sued an amusement park after being the victim of the ultimate “act of God”: He was hit by lightning while standing next to his own car in the parking lot
Stunning and hilarious, The True Stella Awards reveals the extremes people will go to in the pursuit of “justice.”
- GenresNonfictionLawTriviaHumor
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 15, 2012
This book is contributing to a terrible problem - the perception that lawsuits are by default frivolous. The author uses the most sarcastic language and heavily slanted descriptions of the cases he cites to push this agenda, but bookends the body of the text with an Introduction and Conclusion in which he adds lengthy disclaimers regarding his selective presentation of the cases and his acknowledgement that the problem is not a simple one to solve. This doesn't excuse his book. Then again, I bet Cassingham would himself say "hey, it's just common sense that people take my book with a grain of salt." It's sad that Cassingham is contributing to a false perception rampant in our society now.
March 12, 2012
See more of my reviews at Bettering Me Up.
The True Stella Awards comprises a series of 2-3 page "chapters" on assorted frivolous lawsuits. I had forgotten all about this book, so when I came across it on my bookshelves, I was excited to re-read it. Just as when I first read the book, I found myself shaking my head and wondering how we -- as a society -- have allowed such lawsuits to continue. And reading about others' poor choices and stupidity is always good schadenfreude. ;)
The True Stella Awards comprises a series of 2-3 page "chapters" on assorted frivolous lawsuits. I had forgotten all about this book, so when I came across it on my bookshelves, I was excited to re-read it. Just as when I first read the book, I found myself shaking my head and wondering how we -- as a society -- have allowed such lawsuits to continue. And reading about others' poor choices and stupidity is always good schadenfreude. ;)
June 3, 2013
A nice collection of real-life lawsuits that illustrate the need for tort reform in the United States of America. The Award is named for the woman who successfully sued McDonalds because she spilled their hot coffee in her lap; although deeper reading of the details of that case does provide food for thought.
Most of the cases are pretty cut-and-dried, although some have follow-ups and results provided (where available). I'd love to find out about cases he reports that have wrapped up since he published this book; maybe it's time for a revised edition?
Most of the cases are pretty cut-and-dried, although some have follow-ups and results provided (where available). I'd love to find out about cases he reports that have wrapped up since he published this book; maybe it's time for a revised edition?
June 28, 2023
The title of this book is a reference to the 1994 Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants case in which a woman successfully sued McDonald's International, Inc. because she was scalded by a cup of coffee which she'd purchased at a McDonald's restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1992.
The Liebeck v. McDonald's case actually did have merit, it is in fact the responsibility of restaurants, including fast food restaurants to ensure that all of the products which they serve to their customers are safe and will not cause injuries to their customers. This does include ensuring that beverages are served at reasonable temperatures, and that hot beverages are served in containers which won't readily fall apart.
However, the case became popularly associated with frivolous lawsuits in the U.S.
While I do think that Stella Liebeck was correct to sue McDonald's International, Inc., and that the attorneys, the judge as well as the jury in the 1994 Liebeck v. McDonald's case all acted quite appropriately, I also recognize that there's no shortage of frivolous and notably pointless lawsuits which are constantly being processed through the courts throughout the U.S.
Randy Cassingham created "The Stella Awards" website, which is a website which is devoted specifically and entirely to describing frivolous and pointless lawsuits, many of which accomplish little other than clogging up the court systems in some states. In 2006, Randy Cassingham published this book which describes some of the most frivolous and pointless lawsuits which had occurred in the U.S. up to 2006.
As I've mentioned, while I don't believe that the Liebeck v. McDonald's International Inc. case was frivolous, and I do feel that it raised an important point in tort law, I do feel that all of the other cases which are described in this book truly accomplished nothing other than enabling attorneys to earn high fees.
If you've ever been frustrated by the high number of frivolous lawsuits which are ubiquitous throughout the courts in the U.S., you'll enjoy this book. There are other books which are about frivolous lawsuits, this book is cleverly worded. This is not a legal textbook, this book is written for laypersons, you don't need to possess any advanced knowledge of how the legal system operates in different states in the U.S. to appreciate this book.
The Liebeck v. McDonald's case actually did have merit, it is in fact the responsibility of restaurants, including fast food restaurants to ensure that all of the products which they serve to their customers are safe and will not cause injuries to their customers. This does include ensuring that beverages are served at reasonable temperatures, and that hot beverages are served in containers which won't readily fall apart.
However, the case became popularly associated with frivolous lawsuits in the U.S.
While I do think that Stella Liebeck was correct to sue McDonald's International, Inc., and that the attorneys, the judge as well as the jury in the 1994 Liebeck v. McDonald's case all acted quite appropriately, I also recognize that there's no shortage of frivolous and notably pointless lawsuits which are constantly being processed through the courts throughout the U.S.
Randy Cassingham created "The Stella Awards" website, which is a website which is devoted specifically and entirely to describing frivolous and pointless lawsuits, many of which accomplish little other than clogging up the court systems in some states. In 2006, Randy Cassingham published this book which describes some of the most frivolous and pointless lawsuits which had occurred in the U.S. up to 2006.
As I've mentioned, while I don't believe that the Liebeck v. McDonald's International Inc. case was frivolous, and I do feel that it raised an important point in tort law, I do feel that all of the other cases which are described in this book truly accomplished nothing other than enabling attorneys to earn high fees.
If you've ever been frustrated by the high number of frivolous lawsuits which are ubiquitous throughout the courts in the U.S., you'll enjoy this book. There are other books which are about frivolous lawsuits, this book is cleverly worded. This is not a legal textbook, this book is written for laypersons, you don't need to possess any advanced knowledge of how the legal system operates in different states in the U.S. to appreciate this book.
March 2, 2020
A spoon full of sugar should hep the medicine go down, but even at their most ridiculous (law suit started for publicity, law suit started "for fun", law suit filed against a pre-teen for running in the hallway, etc) I had a hard time laughing at lawsuits in this book. Partly because the author repeatedly brings up the hidden costs of "free money" and how a frivolous court case costs everyone in the long run (damaging court hours, upping medical insurance, etc) and partly because these actually happened.
This author clearly has an agenda (or three or four): for people to not view court cases as a type of lottery, to not place responsibility for their actions on other people, for companies to not be able to intimidate criticism away with lawsuits, etc. However he also responds to website reader feedback (inviting readers to research and disagree with him if need be) and gives some sympathetic details about the original bogus Stella awards that inspired this book so I think it's fair to approach all the criticism in this book as heartfelt rather than lashing out. That it's purpose is provoke reform and discussion; not merely to malign or laugh at people or make people rethink legitimate grievances.
This author clearly has an agenda (or three or four): for people to not view court cases as a type of lottery, to not place responsibility for their actions on other people, for companies to not be able to intimidate criticism away with lawsuits, etc. However he also responds to website reader feedback (inviting readers to research and disagree with him if need be) and gives some sympathetic details about the original bogus Stella awards that inspired this book so I think it's fair to approach all the criticism in this book as heartfelt rather than lashing out. That it's purpose is provoke reform and discussion; not merely to malign or laugh at people or make people rethink legitimate grievances.
May 21, 2019
I would rate 2 and 1/2 stars, if possible.
The readers can deduce from the title that the author is strongly opposed to the cases in the book.
Cassingham is entitled to his opinion, and explicitly states that readers “read the same materials for themselves—and decide if the case is being fairly represented,” but I do believe certain omissions are material to the cases and should have been included in the book.
There were very important facts in the Romanski case—the woman who went to federal court over a nominal nickel— and Stella, the namesake, was gravely injured, so it is very important to conduct one’s research and arrive at one’s own conclusion.
The documentary “Hot Coffee” allowed Stella to tell the story in her own words.
I disliked the harsh ad hominem attacks and condescending tone. It is one thing to summarize but the humor was lost on me.
The readers can deduce from the title that the author is strongly opposed to the cases in the book.
Cassingham is entitled to his opinion, and explicitly states that readers “read the same materials for themselves—and decide if the case is being fairly represented,” but I do believe certain omissions are material to the cases and should have been included in the book.
There were very important facts in the Romanski case—the woman who went to federal court over a nominal nickel— and Stella, the namesake, was gravely injured, so it is very important to conduct one’s research and arrive at one’s own conclusion.
The documentary “Hot Coffee” allowed Stella to tell the story in her own words.
I disliked the harsh ad hominem attacks and condescending tone. It is one thing to summarize but the humor was lost on me.
August 10, 2019
Interesting - we have to go to prevailing party receives attorney fees to avoid this madness
Read
December 17, 2024""
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2011
Excellent book that covers a topic that is sure to make a read roll their eyes at the state of our legal system, yet is told with enough humor to make it an enjoyable experience to read. Randy does a great job grouping specific types of cases together to illustrate a trend or make a point with his own commentary added to the end of each.
January 12, 2016
All true, and you'll be amazed. Complete with my analysis of what the underlying problem is, and how we might go about solving it.
This book is so complete, it said everything I wanted to say on the subject -- which is why I stopped publishing the newsletter. If you have ANY interest in this subject, the book is the definitive exploration of the topic. Get it!
This book is so complete, it said everything I wanted to say on the subject -- which is why I stopped publishing the newsletter. If you have ANY interest in this subject, the book is the definitive exploration of the topic. Get it!
July 5, 2010
My Honey purchased this awhile ago. We have now both perused the book, and actually, I am a little saddened by the state of our courts. We need some more judges who are willing to say "are you kidding me? get out of my court!"
December 11, 2013
Excellent food for thought. One of the author's main points, that I think bears repeating, is that frivolous lawsuits not only cost us taxpayers a bundle, but also make it harder for those with legitimate suits to get justice.
July 7, 2008
true stories about useless people
January 19, 2016
weird book of dumb law-suits!
April 5, 2017
I stumbled over this book following a discussion in work regarding the well known but surprisingly false Winnebago story. I'm sure you have heard of it. The American man who bought a brand new Winnebago having never driven a vehicle of similar type. Said man gets onto the freeway, sticks the vehicle in cruise control and nips into the back to make a coffee while hurtling down the road a X miles an hour. He crashes and, according to urban myth, successfully sues Winnebago for not explaining in the owners manual that cruise control doesn't work that way. Now according to the story I had read, he was awarded a multi million dollar settlement and a new Winnebago for being an idiot. As stated at the start it turns out that this story is bunkum, but the are many similar stories that are all too true.
So what we have here is a series of small stories picked up from real life press and court reports detailing some of the truly absurd reasons that people have sued. For example, I like eating at McDonalds but common sense tells me that if I eat a Big Mac and large fries 3 times a day, 7 days a week for months or years on end I will be very fat and very poorly. I shouldn't then be attempting to sue said burger chain for millions because I'm too stupid to know my diet is killing me.
Each story is brief, no more than a couple of pages each, well researched, very well written and by turns entertaining and irritating. I'm a great fan of common sense and it annoys me when people don't apply sensible thinking and that is the whole point of this book, to entertain but also to try and encourage people to discuss frivolous lawsuits and stop them.
The version I read is an old second hand copy from 2006 and therefore some of the stories are still going through the courts at the time this was published so you don't always get the clear and satisfactory ending to the story. Don't worry though, I'm not about to sue the author. I am about to embark on some further investigation to discover what happened next.
If you have ever wondered about or been irritated about the nonsense court stories, or if you just want a really interesting read then look no further
So what we have here is a series of small stories picked up from real life press and court reports detailing some of the truly absurd reasons that people have sued. For example, I like eating at McDonalds but common sense tells me that if I eat a Big Mac and large fries 3 times a day, 7 days a week for months or years on end I will be very fat and very poorly. I shouldn't then be attempting to sue said burger chain for millions because I'm too stupid to know my diet is killing me.
Each story is brief, no more than a couple of pages each, well researched, very well written and by turns entertaining and irritating. I'm a great fan of common sense and it annoys me when people don't apply sensible thinking and that is the whole point of this book, to entertain but also to try and encourage people to discuss frivolous lawsuits and stop them.
The version I read is an old second hand copy from 2006 and therefore some of the stories are still going through the courts at the time this was published so you don't always get the clear and satisfactory ending to the story. Don't worry though, I'm not about to sue the author. I am about to embark on some further investigation to discover what happened next.
If you have ever wondered about or been irritated about the nonsense court stories, or if you just want a really interesting read then look no further
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews