Only in America - family sues Caterpillar

[LeRoux Strydom]

It can only happen in the USA. Do you think Cat can ever be held liable for this? I think it is fine to have your concerns about Israeli policies, but to go and stand in front of a bulldozer driven by an Israeli soldier is just plain stupid, as stupid as then sueing the manufacturer of said bulldozer. The story does say, though, that they are also sueing the Israeli defence force and the State of Israel separately:

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,6119,2-10-1462_1677029,00.html

Family sues bulldozer company
16/03/2005 08:01 - (SA)

Seattle - The parents of a 23-year-old activist killed while trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home is suing Caterpillar Inc, the company that made the bulldozer that ran over her.

The federal lawsuit, which lawyers said would be filed on Tuesday, alleges that Caterpillar violated international and state law by providing specially designed bulldozers to Israeli Defence Forces that it knew would be used to demolish homes and endanger people.

Rachel Corrie, a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, was standing in front of a home in a refugee camp in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, on March 16 2003, when a bulldozer plowed over her.

"The brutal death of my daughter should never have happened," Corrie's mother, Cindy Corrie, said in a statement released by the Centre for Constitutional Rights, a law firm handling the case. "We believe Caterpillar and the (Israeli Defence Forces) must be held accountable for their role in the attack."

Caterpillar spokesperson Linda Fairbanks said the company had no comment on the lawsuit.

However, the company released a general, written statement Tuesday that said: "Caterpillar shares the world's concern over unrest in the Middle East and we certainly have compassion for all those affected by political strife.

"However, more than two million Caterpillar machines and engines are at work in virtually every region of the world each day. We have neither the legal right nor the means to police individual use of that equipment."

The statement did not refer to the lawsuit.

The Corries have filed separate claims in Israel against the state of Israel, the Israeli Defence Ministry and the Israeli Defence Forces.

The Israeli military classified Corrie's death as an accident.

[928ram]

In a perfect world this would be thrown out of court. In the US court system, they aren't really suing Cat for liability in the daughter's death, but rather they are betting the odds that Cat will give them a payout to avoid the cost of fighting it in court. It's all about getting paid.

[Joeaksa]

Another lawsuit that needs to be thrown out right away...

Joe

[Superman]

Originally posted by 928ram
In a perfect world this would be thrown out of court.

A young woman was killed. The Israeli Defense Forces are also named in the suit. I'm not sure how one would draw a quick conclusion that this suit needs to be thrown out.

Very impressed though, that John has stock in Caterpillar. John, I hope I'm still on your Ignore List.

[legion]

I hope she filed down in Madison County...

Heck, they have all sorts of ridiculous awards in Peoria County (thanks Jay Jansen!), where Caterpillar is based.

[Jeff Higgins]

How about suing Evergreen State College for leading this poor woman to this fateful day? I did not attend this school, but my younger brother did in the early '90's. Total liberal hippie peacenick '60's time warp; profs running around barefoot or at best in sandles with tie-dyed shirts, long gray ponytails and all. They pound social activism down students' throats like no other school. Too bad they don't properly prepare them for the real world, which includes Israeli bulldozer drivers.

[turbo6bar]

Originally posted by Superman
The Israeli Defense Forces are also named in the suit.

According to the article, the suit against Caterpillar is separate from the suit in Israel.

[Eric 951]

Maybe Caterpillar should bulldoze this family's home.

[Superman]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
How about suing Evergreen State College for leading this poor woman to this fateful day? I did not attend this school, but my younger brother did in the early '90's. Total liberal hippie peacenick '60's time warp; profs running around barefoot or at best in sandles with tie-dyed shirts, long gray ponytails and all. They pound social activism down students' throats like no other school. Too bad they don't properly prepare them for the real world, which includes Israeli bulldozer drivers.

The Evergreen State College has been one of the most respected liberal arts colleges in the nation for many years. According to organizations that rate them, like US News and World Report, Time Magazine, etc. And yes, it is wildly liberal. But then, I understand that education is just a silly, unnecessary thing in the minds of conservatives, and both they and all the world's news organizations are similarly useless. I'm glad I'm not defending the position that the world's news organizations and institutes of higher learning are staffed with uninformed idiots.

[widebody911]

I can see it now; a D-10 with a warning label...

(dang, I wish I was competent with PhotoShop!)

[Tim Hancock]

Oh my god! Supe, please tell me that you don't think Caterpiller bears any liability here.

[skipdup]

I'm not sure how one would draw a quick conclusion that this suit needs to be thrown out.

Are you serious? Am I reading this wrong or are you actually saying that this case against Cat deserves review?

- Skip

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by Superman
A young woman was killed. The Israeli Defense Forces are also named in the suit. I'm not sure how one would draw a quick conclusion that this suit needs to be thrown out.

By utilizing Common Sense.

[lendaddy]

Not that it matters, but didn't this woman kill herself? I mean the Cat didn't chase her down, she purposely laid in front of it right? Maybe I'm thinking of another case. But if I'm right, that's suicide not homocide.

[gr8fl4porsche]

I'm confused - If one is willing to lay down in front of a bulldozer - aren't they willing to die for their cause?

Would a rational person lay down in front of an implement of destruction trusting it would stop?

If you want to stop the dozer - climb aboard and remove the driver - Hollywood style. Or, get your own dozer (or another equally large implement) and block the house.

I am not justifying the drivers action or commenting on the families right to sue for wrongful death - but

Does not one stupid action deserve an equal and opposite stupid reaction?

[LeRoux Strydom]

Supe

the article clearly stated that the parents separately sued the Israeli defence force. I sincerely hope they succeed with that suit.

I do not trivialise the death of the misguided poor girl, but I think the lawsuit in the US against Cat is frivolous and designed to opportunitically exploit the USA's obsession with litigation and, quite frankly, ridiculous settlements in similar suits.

LeRoux

[928ram]

Let's review:

Rachel Corrie was clearly anti-US and anti-Israel and aligned herself with the Palestinian in what she described as an "armed conflict". One could say certainly say that she participated as a soldier of Palestine where Martyrdom is a self-made choice.
She placed herself between a moving bulldozer and a stone building, then as the dozer approached, she relocated herself closer to the building. She was fully able to remove herself from harms way but chose not too-her choice.
It doesn't take an Evergreen State education to realize that if you get run over by even a small bulldozer that you will die; even the folks who's house that was raized had the sense to get out of the way and you can bet that they didn't attend Evergreen State. Where did she her mind get brainwashed that she didn't have sense to remove herself from harms way when the "simple" folks did? E-state?
By her actions she place the value of human life below that of a stone shack. Perhaps she didn't have all of her mental facilities? Perhaps her parents shouldn't have sent her to an area of "armed conflict" knowing she wasn't too swift.
Not knowing the height of the blade on the dozer, is it possible no one knew she was there besides herself?

Her death was at best a suicide. If she thought it was martyrdom, then her parents are desicrating her memory by suing after she "died for the cause"

Parents are just trying to get paid.

[jyl]

This case is meritless. It may get some headlines but is likely to die quietly. I'd be surprised if the family got any settlement from Cat.

[RickM]

The people getting sued should be the parents.....for raising this woman improperly.

That makes as much sense as suing Catepillar.

[stevepaa]

Originally posted by 928ram
Let's review:

Rachel Corrie was clearly anti-US and anti-Israel and aligned herself with the Palestinian in what she described as an "armed conflict". One could say certainly say that she participated as a soldier of Palestine where Martyrdom is a self-made choice. By her actions she place the value of human life below that of a stone shack.

Parents are just trying to get paid.

I guess by that standard all peaceful protestors willing to put themselves in harm's way to stop the perpetual cycle of violence in that region must be anti-US and anti-Israel and we can classify all the Christians in the Roman arenas as not valuing their lives more than an ideal themselves.

The last part is not worthy of comment.