This is just plain ridiculous.....

...isn't everything...the cost of defending, court costs, lost time from job. It all adds up so that even if he loses, so do you! OR, THE REAL ANSWER: I don't remember!

The civil lawsuit system in this country is really a joke. Everyone loses because lawyer fees and court costs are so high. And unless you sue someone with a lot of assets you aren't going to get paid anyway.

My wife sued a lady on our street a few years ago for damages (long story-won't get into it) after the lady's unlicnesed and unleashed pit bulls took a chunk out of our kids leg. We had a solid case, and the jury awarded the damages to pay our medical bills that insurance didn't cover. We had to pay our lawyer up front and his fees and court fees were $8,000. The lady my wife sued turned out to be unemployed for 4 years, no money, no assets, and her home was in her mother's name. So her net worth was $0. My wife got a nice pretty jury award paper but so far no money. The lady's defense was great too: I'm an innocent Christian who loves animals and I go to church every sunday.

On another note, most RRs are "self insured". They pay legal costs and jury awards out of their own bank account. Most low lifes (like drunks who run thru red lights then sue the RR) know this. So a trial lawyer can type up a civil complaint/lawsuit on his computer and file it for $100. Now the RR can do 2 things: fight it or pay the plainfiff off. Fighting it for a few years in court will cost a few hundred grand, so the RRs usually settle and say "here's $50,000 take it and go away". Since most friv lawsuits are brought by low income people with no money they get greedy and take the settlement aka payoff.

What is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat?

A Democrat wants half of what you have!

A Republican does not think you deserved half of what you have!

The Red vs Blue stuff is getting old already, the problems is our inability to reach common ground together. Instead of sitting in our corners glaring at each other and wringing our hands over the end of civilization as we know it we should be working to reach compromise to build a better country for our children.

In my opinion neither candidate represented the best of what this country can offer. Now, how are we going to make things better?

wonder if she'll also be suing Jack Daniel's for not warning her that alcohol consumption reduces your ability to get out of the way of moving trains

The only thing Jack Daniel's doesn't prevent is pregnancy....

I heard of one state, might have been Virginia or New Jersey, which passed a law stating that a "victim" cannot recover damages if injured while trespassing on railroad property. This is what is needed in ALL states.

It's too bad there is no way to make all lawsuits pass a common sense filter before they proceed. I realize the definition of "common sense" will vary and therein lies the problem.

Unfortunately it is often felt that if something awful happens to somebody, they should get a lot of money to make things better. We as a society have forgotten that in life, bad things sometimes happen to good people. That's life, deal with it, prepare for it! But the attitude now is no matter how unusual an accident is, SOMEBODY should have thought of the possibility so SOMEBODY should pay all sorts of money.

And when we do something like walking down a railroad track, and a train comes along those tracks, why of course the railroad should pay. After all, they are a big company, and we hear all the time that big companies are unfeeling and greedy so it's only justice to make them pay. It's way past time we get rid of the "corporation equals evil" mentality.

Ethics and integrity vary, be it individuals, small companies, or large corporations. When we start looking at all big companies (and NS certainly is big) as out to screw the little guy, it's a short jump to ignoring the personal responsibility for our own actions. Whether it's hot coffee or a train running on tracks, those big rich companies can easily afford it so sock it to them. That's a very warped, but too common, school of thought these days.

The soapbox is now yielded to the next speaker.

Wow...Aji-tater's last few paragraphs are among the best written and thought-out words spoken on here..and not like we're all idiots. But very well said. Kudos.

One minor addition: I teach 11th and 12th graders. Besides that short jump to suing the big companies (and yes, it's a logical fallacy), one other thing is missing, or rather, all too present: the need for instant gratification. I want it and now. Why can't I have it? I can't be across those tracks right now? Sure I can...watch...

*sigh*