Smoking

[WanDabada]

This may not be exactly political (more legal maybe), but do Americans have no concept of money? After reading about the man granted 3 billion dollars by a court case against a tobacco company because he got lung cancer. Does it seem a little odd that he got more money than many developing countries Gross National Product due to a self-inflicted disease thats his own fault? Seems pretty pathetic really. What the fucks he going to do with the damn money anyway?

[Low-Budget-Superhero]

He just wanted the money. Suing is the easiest way to make money off of stupidity (just ask the lady who made money off of spilling McDonald's hot coffee on her lap!).

[Raptorman]

This is a textbook example of the need for tort reform. It is far too easy to sue someone for anything.

I have mulled this over many times. All this man is doing is attempting to force something he wants done but cannot get done though the law so they go through the courts. This is called legislating through the bench. The usual tactic is to go after a politically unpopular group or company so as to camoflauge publis indignation at there rediculas actions with public indignation at the company/group. Then using the actions of any group or individual that can be remotly tied to this agency and the "deep pockets" princepal. The unpopular group is sued. This is tried repeatedly until a astronamical figure is handed out by a sypathetic jury. This reward is almost never handed out but the rest of the industry gets sacred and changes practices to avoid lawsuits. Sometimes the group or company folds under strain of the lawsuits thus ending the offending action.

This has been used repeatedly in the past years against such groups as the Church of the Arayan nations and the tobbacco industry. It is also being attempted on the firearms industry and almost worked when Smith and Wesson attempted to reach a deal with the Clinton administration to avoid possible lawsuits in the future. They then found out that their customer base was not only politically active, but very much against their desition. I don't know if their sales have recovered yet.

As to the man in the tobbaco lawsuit. Enjoy your slow sufficating death you fuckhead.

[Raptorman]

At 6/9/01 09:11 PM, GameboyCC wrote: He just wanted the money. Suing is the easiest way to make money off of stupidity (just ask the lady who made money off of spilling McDonald's hot coffee on her lap!).

Perhaps there should be a "stupidity clause" in product liability laws. Something like "If injury was the result of actions that a reasonable person would consider unwise, unsafe, or foolish the injured party waives all right to petition the court for compansary damages."

[ladyluck69]

The only place that I can see them having any form of a case is if this person smoked during the time that cigarettes were actually reported as harmless. They were endorsed by our own military.

But if they continued to smoke after the realities of what smoking did to them came to light, i dont think that they should have any case.

Do I think that they deserve any settlement that amounts to something like that, certainly not. But, the probability of him actually getting that amount is almost zero. Im sure it will be brought down in court. Out of all the tabacco cases that have had settlements like this only one has actually been paid.

[TheGiantPeach]

At 6/9/01 08:03 PM, WanDabada wrote: This may not be exactly political (more legal maybe), but do Americans have no concept of money? After reading about the man granted 3 billion dollars by a court case against a tobacco company because he got lung cancer. Does it seem a little odd that he got more money than many developing countries Gross National Product due to a self-inflicted disease thats his own fault? Seems pretty pathetic really. What the fucks he going to do with the damn money anyway?

Yeah, these people are fuckin stupid.

[WanDabada]

But, the probability of him actually getting that amount is almost zero. Im sure it will be brought down in court. Out of all the tabacco cases that have had settlements like this only one has actually been paid.

All I can say is thank god for that.

[fuck-fu]

in canada most ridicoulus court cases are just thrown out by the judge.
IE. Somebody tried to sue macdonalds for not listing how many calories were in a hamburger

[Utgard-Loki]

At 6/9/01 08:03 PM, WanDabada wrote: This may not be exactly political (more legal maybe), but do Americans have no concept of money? After reading about the man granted 3 billion dollars by a court case against a tobacco company because he got lung cancer. Does it seem a little odd that he got more money than many developing countries Gross National Product due to a self-inflicted disease thats his own fault? Seems pretty pathetic really. What the fucks he going to do with the damn money anyway?

Maybe he'll start his own tobacco company

[PredsPhan]

I think it just has to do with the court systems being completly fucked up. First of all, he won his settlement on the fact that he had no idea that smoking cigarettes would give him cancer. He said there was no warning about possible health problems. The only way this is possible is if this guy dropped out of school before high school health class, can't read the warning label on the cigarette packs, and has no TV or radio. Both mediums have bombarded us with information telling us how dangerous smoking is for decades, and this idiot had no idea? I really don't know who is dumber, the smoking billionare, or the judge that awarded him this case.

[Mowkloo]

Sweet! Thats 3 billion more dollars to spend on getting his other lung cancer.

The meek shall inhibit the earth....

[wdfcverfgtghm]

At 6/9/01 08:03 PM, WanDabada wrote: This may not be exactly political (more legal maybe), but do Americans have no concept of money? After reading about the man granted 3 billion dollars by a court case against a tobacco company because he got lung cancer. Does it seem a little odd that he got more money than many developing countries Gross National Product due to a self-inflicted disease thats his own fault? Seems pretty pathetic really. What the fucks he going to do with the damn money anyway?

DAMN STRAIGHT! Listen, Haiti has a 8000 dollar GNP... THats fucking welfare in the US. We need too stop spending money on stupid shit we don't need... and maybe ship some food to developing nations... we have a surplus of food... as well as a surplus of waste!

[HornedReaper]

At 6/9/01 08:03 PM, WanDabada wrote: This may not be exactly political (more legal maybe), but do Americans have no concept of money? After reading about the man granted 3 billion dollars by a court case against a tobacco company because he got lung cancer. Does it seem a little odd that he got more money than many developing countries Gross National Product due to a self-inflicted disease thats his own fault? Seems pretty pathetic really. What the fucks he going to do with the damn money anyway?

Yeah, no shit. I mean it is clearly printed on the cig. pack that you can get lung cancer from smoking. Too bad that idiot was too stupid or concieted to follow before it happened to him.

[Anarchon]

At 6/9/01 08:03 PM, WanDabada wrote: This may not be exactly political (more legal maybe), but do Americans have no concept of money? After reading about the man granted 3 billion dollars by a court case against a tobacco company because he got lung cancer. Does it seem a little odd that he got more money than many developing countries Gross National Product due to a self-inflicted disease thats his own fault? Seems pretty pathetic really. What the fucks he going to do with the damn money anyway?

buy cigarettes.
the money is just gonna get recycled back to the cmoking corporations... hopefuly, someday, we'll all open our eyes and realize marijuana is the way to go- not tobacco