LAWYERS have waltzed us down this path, preying on the taxpayers’ deep pockets, and with the windfalls of “class action lawsuits” (i.e, Microsoft, Big Tobacco, AT&T breakup, etc., etc.), we’ve been warning-labeled to oblivion in the name of “safety”, and paying billions to those who do stupid things, or happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc.
Pouring billions into the pockets of Lawyers for “victims” of fate Katrina, 9/11, smoking, flooding, etc. has not eliminated accidents or natural disasters.
I’m a victim of Global Warming! where’s my check…?
“So, when the bridge finally fell and people were injured the government is clearly responsible for their injuries.”
Put the politicians in jail then…don’t give away other peoples money.
Is there no end to the fleecing?
If you hit your thumb with a hammer, is it YOUR fault, or is it the Governments fault for lack of regulation?
And then the actual lawyers show up to say, erm:
We are not talking about a lack of a government regulation here but the negligent maintenence of government owned and operated bridge. If the bridge was privately owned and operated individuals could sue the company that owned the bridge and not just the employee who was negligent in inspecting the bridge. There is a legal principle called Respondeat Superior which allows people to sue businesses, governments, etc for the negligent actions of their employees which are committed in the course of their employment. Also, civil suits are not designed to punish the negligent party but rather to compensate the injured party. So, allowing people who have suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars of damages in medical bills and the like to sue on government inspector would not be nearly adequate to compensate them.
But you can only lead a Freeper to reason … not make it think:
Just say you’re a law-yer and get it overwith.
It’s natural for you to be on the side of evil.
A.
I am very proudly NOT a lawyer. But let me float a counterargument as to why lawyers can make so much money in class action suits (and also let me float that the situation I describe below has gotten more unequal under the last 7 years):
I am injured (physically, mentally, financially) by the action of a corporation. If I try to have my day in court, it is little me against the legal resources of a multinational corporation. The corporation can delay, hold out, and wear me down. In short, I have not chance of winning by myself.
The only way to hold a corporation accountable is to have a class action suit. Even then, a small award can be dismissed by the financial department of the corporation as “just the cost of doing business.” The award may appear big in terms of the number of zeroes, but it does not appear that large in terms of the financial profits of the corporation (many of which directly spring from their negligence), the number of -people harmed which banded together for the class action, and to compensate for the large number of lapses which will never make it to court as John Q Public doesn’t have the resources to seek redress.
I am woefully familiar weeth the tendency for the citizens of Freeperia to append or shorten words to make all sorts of nonsense insults and stupid nicknames for their political opponents.
But “law-yer” ees a new one to me.
Tell me: ¿Ees eet the “Law” part weeth wheech the Freeples have a problem?
Because I don’t see “yer” being all that damaging to one’s psyche (Even the psyche of a felloe Freeper.)
so.
I’ve yet to meet the person greivously injured by the negligence of another entity who will say “them’s the breaks” and not seek compensation.