24 millions dollars for being a moron

HardDrive · 10-27-2006, 02:46 PM

Yet another shining example of our legal system at work.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15446658/

Better put up huge signs next to the runway at the airport, "Warning, do not run in front of aircraft".

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Ridiculous. Some idiot kid, who's probably the type who'll be lucky to hold down a job at a 7-11 at any point in his life, turns himself into a french fry and stands to pick up somewhere between 11-20 million bucks for that. I feel awful for his condition (self-inflicted or not) but the fact that he'll pocket more than I'll make in my entire lifetime combined is, well, ridiculous.

Jims5543 · 10-27-2006, 04:12 PM

I cannot offer an opinion in this case as I do not have all the facts.

That said, its sad when someone can trespass get hurt and sue to owner of the property they are trespassing on.

So, if I broke into your house, turned on a burner on your stove and burned myself on it. I can sue because you did not have a warning sign over the stove warning me of the danger.

Awesome!!

TyFenn · 10-27-2006, 04:13 PM

I heard he was from Bourne, MA - hehehe. Just kidding. Or was it Brewster, MA?

Rondinone · 10-28-2006, 07:48 AM

Many of these cases get overturned on appeal. The famous McDonald's coffee case, for example, was overturned on appeal.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Good Lord.. I'm assuming it was a jury in hopes that no judge could be that stupid.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

These awards are almost always thrown out, but those stories don't make the news.

Moneyguy1 · 10-28-2006, 09:20 AM

"No judge could be that stupid"......

Don't bet on it.

sammyg2 · 10-28-2006, 10:19 AM

So tell me again why lawyers should be allowed to live? BTW, almost all judges are lawyers too, or as I call them, idiots in training.

Flatbutt1 · 10-28-2006, 11:40 AM

amazing ...simply amazing. I guess there are still people out there that don't know that gasoline goes boom when mixed with a flame and that bleach is NOT a refreshing summer drink.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Flatbutt1
bleach is NOT a refreshing summer drink.

now that is craaazy talk !!

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Throw out personal injury awards, let natural selection take its course and let's start selecting for SMARTER individuals in successive generations rather than stupider ones.

Hell, take the warning signs off of EVERYTHING (within reason, which we're WAY past the point of) and let the dumbasses that can't educate themselves to the fact that sharp knives, explosives, electricity and chemicals can hurt you kill themselves and stop tainting the gene pool.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Warning. If you want to hold on to your emotional outrage, do not read the facts.

-----------------
State judges often toss out large monetary jury awards

HOUSTON (AP) - Texas judges are increasingly throwing out multimillion-dollar jury awards, the Texas Journal of the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Although Texas judges long have had the power to override a jury, they rarely used it until recently.

"These decisions are proliferating," said Bob Filteau, a lawyer who does both plaintiff and defense work. "Judges appear to be assuming more and more control over jury findings."

In some recent examples:

Last week, Harris County state District Judge Harvey Brown said a jury didn't have sufficient evidence for a $10.5 million award against a brokerage firm accused of lying to a client.

In another Harris County case last week, state District Judge Caroline Baker told attorneys she is granting motions to either get rid of or severely reduce a jury verdict that would have awarded $9 million in a failed housing development case.

A Travis County judge this summer reduced a $36 million award in a whistleblower case to $2.7 million.

Bexar County judges have canceled a $1.65 million fraud verdict in a case against an attorney and a $168,000 jury verdict in a medical-malpractice case where a man claimed he was treated for cancer but never had the disease.

The increased use of the judges' powers is attributed to several factors.

In recent years, many state Supreme Court decisions have given district judges ammunition to erase verdicts they believe are wrong. Since the high court has shown a pro-business slant, judges feel empowered to make more pro-business decisions, confident the decisions will be upheld on appeal. ex

Legal experts point to a key 1994 case where the state Supreme Court overturned an El Paso jury's $1 million punitive damage award for a man who became impotent when he broke his pelvis in a work accident.

Flatbutt1 · 10-28-2006, 12:25 PM

well tech thats some good education, thanks!

livi · 10-28-2006, 12:35 PM

This exact kind of accidents have happened a few times in Sweden too. We don´t have your tradition of suing everybody however, so they did not get a dime. Nobody would even think of trying to make money on their own stupidity. And if they did, as in your case, the figures are absurd. Millions of dollars ??!!

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Don't worry, these only get big awards during the "jury" trial. On appeal, it is in front of judges. They are not swayed by lawyers and BS like this usually gets overturned.

The sad part, the only winners are the damn lawyers. I have a $1.65 award in a class action lawsuit against a bank (no I did not seek out the suit). But, this award was something like $10M. The lawyers took 35% and spread the rest to the people like me.

Unfortunately, most of the people in our government today are lawyers. Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham (clinton), John Edwards, etc. Do you think these people want to limit what a lawyer can do or how they can make money? And while my examples are Democrats, i know that most of the Republicans are Lawyers too. My ex-girlfriend from NY, her boss, a state senator, was/is a lawyer, and so are 3 of his children, 2 of which are now in Politics.

I can't say they are all bad, since one of his kids is representing me in a patent issue...

HardDrive · 03:25 PM

This has had some perverse effects in the health care system. You cannot get OB/Gyn care in Wayne county (Detroit). If you get sued in Detroit, the local morons will give people millions over small scars, kid turns out to be a dumbass, they don't end up going to harvard. All the docs packed up shop and left. This in a very poor city that desperately needs docs.

I should say though, everyone loves to hate lawyers.....until you need one. My 2 recent interactions with lawyers were for the wifes immigrations, and for a realestate deal. In both instances, I was DAMN glad to have their help.

dennis in se pa · dennis in se pa's Garage

I agree! Warning signs and labels go against the process of natural selection. Stupid people are being allowed to propagate. Stupid people are being rewarded for their stupidity. Only in America. And as was mentioned above most of these actually get dropped on appeal.

Moneyguy1 · 10-28-2006, 04:34 PM

Attorneys are like funeral directors.....

Neither is really wanted, but occasionally needed.

artplumber · 10-28-2006, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Not sure if it's true, but here's more info on the McDonald's case:

http://www.hurt911.org/mcdonalds.html

-Wayne

This article gives even more details of less than smart behavior on the part of the plaintiff expecting it will drum up support for the "paltry" 500K that the judgement was reduced to.

Held the coffee (hot) between thighs. Soaked into sweatpants (but not apparently bright enough to take them off when she started to hurt). Medical bills of a few K, but got punitive damages of 450K because McDonalds intentionally keeps its coffee hot (probably so that by the time the customer wants to drink it, it is still hot). Please....