I read about many terrible events, and never once does “Someone needs to be sued” pop into my mind—except when I read about them here and then sooner or later that’s exactly what someone posts: “Someone needs to be sued.”

I’m really beginning to think that some people look upon lawsuits as a sort of lottery like Power Ball. The chance of getting a bunch of money that way is small, but we can hope, right? The only reason I can think of why that’s never far from some people’s minds is because they’re hoping it will happen to them.

If you’re one of them, be careful what you wish for. Money isn’t likely to really compensate for being crippled or losing a loved one.

I couldn't agree more. I whole heartedly believe people look for ways in which they can sue someone, how many time have you seen something in the news? My coffee was to hot, I slipped on the ice near your restaurant, I caused an auto accident but I'm suing you because you look like you're rich. I get so pissed off when I read one of these stories.

I agree. Years ago, I was chatting with my bartender in a heavy drinking bar about a mutual acquaintance who was injured and had a lawsuit going. She said she wished something like that would happen to her. I asked "Why would you wish that?" She replied "It's the only way someone like me can make it out. We don't have the education and advantages that you have. It's our lottery"

I think you can blame a whole lot of lawyers too.

Somewhere out there, online, there's a guy standing in front of a Walmart under the "Pharmacy" sign. The sign is made of individual letters attached to the building. The letter "P" is tilted. When the guy was asked why he was standing under the sign all day long, he said he's waiting for the "P" to fall off the building and hit him. Then, he could sue Walmart.

I think insurance has a much to do with it, more so than lawyers. The lawyers may play ball on the pitch, but the insurance companies, and their willingness to settle regardless of fault, certainly provides the motivation.

Just for giggles look at all the warnings plastered to a ladder next time you're at Home Depot. The side must have 5 large stickers of warning.

Years ago I read where close to 1/3 the cost of many light aviation planes/parts are due to liability expenses.

One can go read the troubling story of the 'Blitz' fuel can factory. It was shut down after many years after liability issues/settlements.

Folks around here complain “there’s nothing for kids to.”

Someone put in a bounce house/climbing wall type place.

About 6 months later, a kid breaks a leg or something. Place is sued out of business.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
Years ago I read where close to 1/3 the cost of many light aviation planes/parts are due to liability expenses.

Don't get me started on that.

The first airplane I owned, a BeechCraft Model 23 Musketeer: I bought it when it was one year old. The price that we paid for it at the time, would not even cover the product liability insurance premium that the factory would need to pay today, before the airplane would even leave the factory, if that model were still in production.

I don't remember the exact date, but it was some time in the early 1980s that the Big Three, BeechCraft, Cessna, and Piper, ceased production of just about all single engine General Aviation aircraft, due to the cost of product liability insurance. There were some changes in tort law, and they are producing some airplanes now, in very limited quantities, but nothing like it was pre-1980.

The owner of the shop that does our maintenance spends an incredible amount of time on the internet and on the phone trying to chase down parts that are virtually unavailable, partly due to liability costs, and partly due to the onerous FAA regulations.

Example: The seat backs in the V-Tail recline. The pilot's seat back is controlled by a positive mechanism -- a sector gear. All of the other seat backs have a Hydor-Lok cylinder for reclining. When one of ours went bad we took it to a hydraulic shop to have the O-rings replaced, but they said that the inside of the cylinder was scored and it needed to be replaced, not repaired. BeechCraft wanted somewhere in the neighborhood of seven hundred dollars for this part.

We peeled off the BeechCraft label and under it was the original manufacturer's label -- Hydro-Lok, along with the part number. Contacted Hydro-Lok and they said that their price was $178.00, but they would not sell it for aircraft use. Unlike Paul Harvey, I am not going to tell you "the rest of the story."

In Alabama "lawyers", more like ambulance chasers, can produce ads that "almost" make you tink you will become a millionaire. And these ads are on the air constantly so they might be working. Glad that Florida Bar must approve lawyers ads and NO crazy "almost promising" ads allowed.

quote:

Originally posted by molachi:
In Alabama "lawyers", more like ambulance chasers, can produce ads that "almost" make you tink you will become a millionaire. And these ads are on the air constantly so they might be working. Glad that Florida Bar must approve lawyers ads and NO crazy "almost promising" ads allowed.

Our area, Altamonte Springs / Apopka, just north of the Orlando city line, is littered with billboards for Dan Newlin's law practice, showing happy people holding big checks and saying things like "Dan got us $850,000.00."

A couple coworkers seemed to have an attorney on retainer.

If we really wanted to fix health care in this country we would keep the number of available law school student slots as artificially low as we do the number of medical school openings. Make it as hard to practice law as it is to practice medicine and see how that changes the landscape.

The majority of lawyers are good, well meaning people. There are also lots of people that go to law school for good reasons and then realize that it's not as easy to make good money practicing law as they thought it might be but they've got lots of student loans to pay for. I think the law schools are every bit as much to blame for the state of tort law today as the ambulance chasers.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by molachi:
In Alabama "lawyers", more like ambulance chasers, can produce ads that "almost" make you tink you will become a millionaire. And these ads are on the air constantly so they might be working. Glad that Florida Bar must approve lawyers ads and NO crazy "almost promising" ads allowed.

Our area, Altamonte Springs / Apopka, just north of the Orlando city line, is littered with billboards for Dan Newlin's law practice, showing happy people holding big checks and saying things like "Dan got us $850,000.00."

I don't think billboards are covered the same way as the TV ads. Should be though.

as to your original question

NO, ...hell no
i'll just buy a lottery ticket

on another note-
mama told me never to lie about being sick or saying that one of your kids is sick just to get out of something, said it will come back to haunt you

No. Never. But some people seem to need to be sued just so they don’t keep pulling the same bullshit.

quote:

Originally posted by molachi:
In Alabama "lawyers", more like ambulance chasers, can produce ads that "almost" make you tink you will become a millionaire. And these ads are on the air constantly so they might be working. Glad that Florida Bar must approve lawyers ads and NO crazy "almost promising" ads allowed.

Oh, man, Mike Slocumb, The Alabama Hammer. His ads make me giggle, they are so over the top.

In my area, certain drivers will crossover lanes eg, multiple stop light turns hoping you will hit them so they can sue.

Or either cut in front of you right before turning without a signal.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sunset_Va,

Back at home in Chicago, we used to say that getting shot by the cops was winning the "ghetto lotto" because you'd get paid.

 
WSJ article this week about a special breed of debt collectors. They go after multi-millionaires who have had a multi-million $ court settlement against them. In the one example, a particular mm had been chased by the collector for several years, and his firm had spent upwards of $8m so far trying to catch him and collect on the $32m settlement. The gist of the story was just because you sue and receive a settlement does not mean you will see any money.