Dear Colleagues,

as there recently was a lot of talk about hoaxes in the group, I should like to inquire about a case that currently is making the rounds in the European press. Apparently, "a" Court in California, USA, has awarded the family of a deceased contestant in a water drinking contest $ 16m, or so the press say (see here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8333197.stm for the BBC). As no Court is identified, I suspect this to be a hoax, but when I google the information I have about the case, there appears to be some consistency to the story.

Does anybody know whether the case is real, which Court made the award, and whether the original judgment can be found on the Web? (I'm Swedish, and it might be a bit difficult for me to find the case - if it is real - in any public library in this country.)

Best wishes to all
Jakob