LOONIEST LAWSUITS OF 1999 ANNOUNCED Legal watchdog group kicks off Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week by exposing worst lawsuits filed in Michigan.    Southfield, MI:  09/20/99:  Lawsuits by an arsonist seeking insurance coverage for destruction he caused, by a drunken partier who sued police for NOT placing her under custody, and by an inmate who blamed prison food for his flatulence problem are among the looniest lawsuits of 1999, according to a legal watchdog group.     Robert B. Dorigo Jones, president of Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, or M-LAW, says frivolous lawsuits continue to be a problem in Michigan.  In an effort to focus public attention on this issue, Governor John Engler declared the week of September 19-25 as Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week.     Frivolous lawsuits pile costs on consumers, result in higher taxes, and worst of all, have changed the way we live, said Dorigo Jones.  For proof, all we have to do is look at schools.  Fear of lawsuits often leaves educators wondering how to act.  Physical contact between teachers and students, even a hug after a sports injury, is avoided because of a fear of a lawsuit.  And principals trying to protect students have been sued for expelling other students who make bomb threats.     The good news, according to Dorigo Jones, is that courts can eliminate the junk lawsuits while preserving every victim's right to sue. The new majority on the Michigan Supreme Court has displayed a refreshing willingness to defend common sense and overturn outrageous outcomes in lower courts, said Dorigo Jones.  If their philosophy filters down to the lower courts, fewer people will use lawsuits as a way to avoid personal responsibility, as a way to harass others, or as a way to strike it rich in the lawsuit lottery.     This week, M-LAW is also kicking off its third annual Wacky Warning Label Contest and an essay contest for Michigan high school seniors.  For more information about either contest, or for a complete list of the looniest lawsuits, call M-LAW toll-free at 888-321-MLAW (6529) or visit their website at www.mlaw.org.     M-LAW is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working to alert Michigan citizens about the high cost of frivolous lawsuits and promoting policies to restore common sense to our legal system.