Originally posted by elvendreamgirlOops, didn't say anything yet.
Ok, I don't know if this is a distinctly Americansyndrome, but it definitely seems to have become the norm here. Americans have to know who is responsible for whatever. Who did something bad, who didn't do something right, who caused my pain, my financial loss, who made me fat. Somebody has got to be blamed; someone has got to wear the scarlet A, someone has to wear the dunce cap and sit in the corner.
Once blame has been assigned, then Americans have to seek revenge. We seem to think we are entitled to monetary compensation, and to receiving our "pound of flesh". Well, in some cases we are, but ya know, sometimes sh*t happens. Mother Nature drops a tree on your house, you go in for surgery and don't come out, you eat like a pig and get fat, you get bitten by a feral cat. So whom do you blame? Whom do you get to sue? Sue Mom Nature?, sue the tree?, sue everyone even remotely associated with the hopsital?, sue the fast food restaurants, and all the makers of food?, sue your mouth?, Sue the cat or the people under whose house the cat lives?
People need to realize that sometimes there is no one to blame, and you aren't getting nada. Just suck it up and move on. Is it at all like this in other countries?
Is it at all like this in other countries?[/b]not yet, but I'm sure it's getting that way in the UK. Your right, I find it ridiculous that there always has to be someone to blame and it con never me the person themselves. "I was picking my nose with a key while driving when I hit a tree, causing the airbag to go off and the jey to jam up my nose" - so it'll be the fault of the key manufacturers for not warning labelling the key "do not use for nasal excavation", the car company for fitting an airbag that still goes off regardless of what's up your nose, and the owner of the tree for not painting it dayglo orange so you can see it better.
The one's that really sicken me are when doctors are sued. Sure, if he's neglegent then his competance needs to be addressed, but money shouldn't be the motivator. When the doctor settles, because he can't afford the time in court, the money comes from either his insurance or the hospital. This just means that doctors have to charge more to cover the cost of their insurance payments and hospitals have less cash for the patients. People don't seem to realise that when they sue for $100,000 the money has to come from somewhere, such as 10 people not getting their hip replaced.
And yet it's also so easy to understand. 3 weeks ago I was in the US and an 18 wheeler hit our pick up from behind. It was totally the other drivers fault. The 3 of us were left with strained necks, fortunatly nothing worse, but as soon as the police started talking to use the undercurrent was already 'are you going to sue?' because that would change the amount of paperwork he'd have to do. 'Don't talk to the other driver' as this could hurt your case in court. We were a little shocked so didn't know what to make of it, but the seed had been planted 'I wonder if I could sue...'. It would have been so easy.
Originally posted by belgianfreakSomebody I used to work with was a passenger when her husband crashed their car.
not yet, but I'm sure it's getting that way in the UK. Your right, I find it ridiculous that there always has to be someone to blame and it con never me the person themselves. "I was picking my nose with a key while driving when I hit a tree, causing the airbag to go off and the jey to jam up my nose" - so it'll be the fault of the key manufacturer ...[text shortened]... of it, but the seed had been planted 'I wonder if I could sue...'. It would have been so easy.
Get this: she sued her husband (!) and got a huge payout>
Of course the money came from his insurer as part of his car insurance, so the money didn't come from him.
We call it "compensation culture" and we are definitely catching up with America, and this will lead to stupid warning signs such as, yes - "do not stick keys up nose", "do not use for colonic irrigation" on a bottle of bleach and "do not bang head against" on every wall everywhere!
If you ever watch daytime TV in Britain, every other advert is for solicitors asking "have you been involved in an accident which wasn't your fault?". My favourite is the one with the tagline "Where there's blame, there's a claim".
Unbelievable.
I used to watch "Post card from..." by Clive James.
One of them was from Miami and in this program he drove around a whole night with the Miami police. There was one call. A fight had broken out between two neighbours, so the police car sped off and arrived at the scene.
What had happened was that a driver had crashed into a tree and the two neighbours were fighting over who's garden the tree stood in so that they could sue the driver.
McDonald's was succesfully sued because their coffee was too hot and now they're being sued...because their food makes people fat...
I'm sorry.
As for the poor driver, I'd sue the bastards for not helping me after an accident.
As for coffee: I hope they get sun burned and sue god.
As for McDonalds making people fat....STOP EATING. It's as simple as that, stop scoffing your face every single time you past a food store and YOU MIGHT NOT BE SO FAT. FATTY.
Damn, I'm in a foul mood.
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Originally posted by VargIt is also concerning that they are somehow brainwahing people that its free money that somehow they are intitled to. One advert even used to say "you have nothing to lose". Well wait to the those on low incomes are moaning about the fact they can not insure their car as the premiums are too high, and its the governments thought blah, blah, blah. No its greedy capitalism at its ugliest.
Somebody I used to work with was a passenger when her husband crashed their car.
Get this: she sued her husband (!) and got a huge payout>
Of course the money came from his insurer as part of his car insurance, so the money didn't come from him.
We call it "compensation culture" and we are definitely catching up with America, and this will lead to stupi ...[text shortened]... favourite is the one with the tagline "Where there's blame, there's a claim".
Unbelievable.
A drunk driver crashed into my g/friends dad's car. He was driving down a main road, the other car pulled out of a side road without looking, the driver was over the drink driving limit. Due to "no cost" representation, he is counter sueing, arguing hat somehow my girl friends dad managed to reverse into him side on. Hey, he has nothing to lose, "no cost" representation. The insurance company are on hold with the payout pending the court case. Net result an innocent victim does not have a car for a year as he needs the insurance money to buy a new one.
Remember "no cost repesentation, you have nothing to lose". It shameful.
Andrew
I'll make some comments on the other side on this argument, though I pretty much agre with all the comments above.
The US has a serious antipathy to government regulation and intervention, in a way European countries do not. Therefore there is very little (comparatively) control on corporations to behave responsibly and not abuse their market.
In the absence of government regulation, control of corporations can only be established through recourse to law - this is why class actions and 'no win no fee' concepts have been developed so much further in the US. Large compensation payouts are also not reflective always of the real - or imagined - 'loss' that the claimant has suffered, but also a warning on the corporation concerned to ensure it takes all possible measures to prevent damage to people who consume its product, or that a professional (doctor, dentist, plumber) takes as much care as possible not to cause damage in his work.
So the basis for the american system is fairly valid - it has to be easy for people to be able to have recourse to law. The problem imo came with the fact that at some point in the 80's, juries in the US started seeming to belive that insurance companies provided 'free money' and personal awards skyrocketed - so insurance companies immediately ramped up the premiums. I have a friend here in DC who is a dentist - he turns over about $750k a year, and is paying almost $500k a year in insurance premiums. Takes a huge chuck out of his bottom line, and is almost making it non-viable for him to continue.
Originally posted by belgianfreakYou are right on the money, Jon! My Mom used to work in a Doctor's office, and she told us that many ob/gyns are getting oput of the obstetrics because they have to pay as much as one million dollars a year in malpractice insurance. Presently, all doctors, or for that matter, everyone in the medical field WILL be sued. She worked for a doctor who was sued because a man never came in for his results on a biopsy. The office called, and sent registered letters to the home, and he never replied. He sued, settled for $550,ooo. and it was gone in 6 months. The doctor was a gifted surgeon as well.
not yet, but I'm sure it's getting that way in the UK. Your right, I find it ridiculous that there always has to be someone to blame and it con never me the person themselves. "I was picking my nose with a key while driving when I hit a tree, causing the airbag to go off and the jey to jam up my nose" - so it'll be the fault of the key manufacturer ...[text shortened]... of it, but the seed had been planted 'I wonder if I could sue...'. It would have been so easy.
Originally posted by shavixmirAwwwwww! *Gives Shavimixmir a lollipop 🙂
I used to watch "Post card from..." by Clive James.
One of them was from Miami and in this program he drove around a whole night with the Miami police. There was one call. A fight had broken out between two neighbours, so the police car sped off and arrived at the scene.
What had happened was that a driver had crashed into a tree and the two neighbou ...[text shortened]... le time you past a food store and YOU MIGHT NOT BE SO FAT. FATTY.
Damn, I'm in a foul mood.
Originally posted by ivanhoeYou are absolutely right. I am to blame. Always have been. Everything is my fault. Everytime, without fail, I am the root of all of the worlds problems. Someone should do something about me.
Who's to Blame? YOU ARE !! (of course!)
The renewed pagan answer to "Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa"
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