LA Times: Urban legends and the Stella Awards

[Dr.Phool]

Legal Urban Legends Hold Sway

Tall tales of outrageous jury awards have helped bolster business-led campaigns to overhaul the civil justice system.

By Myron Levin, Times Staff Writer

Merv Grazinski set his Winnebago on cruise control, slid away from the wheel and went back to fix a cup of coffee.

You can guess what happened next: The rudderless, driverless Winnebago crashed.

Grazinski blamed the manufacturer for not warning against such a maneuver in the owner's manual. He sued and won $1.75 million.

His jackpot would seem to erase any doubt that the legal system has lost its mind. Indeed, the Grazinski case has been cited often as evidence of the need to limit lawsuits and jury awards.

There's just one problem: The story is a complete fabrication.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tortmyths14aug14,0,2326040.story?track=tothtml