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Monday, February 2, 2009

What's Life Worth?

$5000 is not enough for some US Air passengers. I would think being given you life back would be plenty.

Here's a good example:
Joe Hart, a salesman from Charlotte who suffered a bloody nose and bruises, says he "would like to be made whole for the incident."
"Like to be made whole"? What the hell does that mean?

Boo Hoo! My plane fell out of the sky and all I got was a lousy bloody nose and 5000 dollars!

How is it that every tragedy (or now, miracle pulled out by a heroic pilot) gets turned into a cash cow?

Fox was touting Geraldo investigating the "Mystery" of why the pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, was not talking to the press. Here's the answer: It's because lawyers and ungrateful passengers, goggle-eyed over the possibility of a big cash settlement, are lining up to make a bundle off of this heroic act that saved the lives of EVERYONE ON THE PLANE! Mystery solved.

This woman, God bless her, gets it:

Amber Wells of Charlotte says she's so thankful to have survived and to be with her 9-month-old daughter, Rayley, that she hasn't had time to think about her belongings.

She says she lost $2,000 of nursing equipment and a laptop computer, as well as a checked bag and a carry-on bag.

"Everything that's gone can be replaced," says Wells, 34, a senior manager for NASCAR. "My life cannot be replaced."

If all Americans had her attitude, heroes wouldn't have to hide from the lawyers.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-26-us-airways-river-crash_N.htm

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

These people have no shame and wouldn't even know what you were talking about if you made that point to them.

I say 96.5% Obamatons.

SteveH

Anonymous said...

Money I$ the American Dream!!

Canadian Pragmatist said...

Hello... not everyone can afford to replace the things they've lost. Also, it's seems well within their right to get a refund for the ticket and compensation for what valuables they'd lost.

Also, I don't think that's why the pilot stayed away from the media*. He didn't seem like the type of guy who would like to bask in the light of his 15 minutes, no matter how deserved it may be.

reaching-oblivion.blogspot.com

Canadian Pragmatist said...

"96.5% Obamatons", yah because conservatives don't have lawyers.

Chicago Ray said...

Good post Silverfiddle, I too agree with your assessment and too admire the nurse's gratitude of simply surviving the trauma "whole". I've never sued anyone in my 44 years of living after about 88 years worth of being screwed by various entities and people, yet my head spins every day regarding the new and improved ways our plethora of new attorneys and old weathered ambulance chasers come up with to enrich themselves and their often deadbeat "ambulance driving" clients. People that lost items would likely be whole if they had homeowners insurance.

I like your reference to Geraldo's "mysterious withholding of Sulley access" and agree that for once a man came along who was simply humble and doing the job he was paid to do and better than most at doing it, eschewing the 5 minutes of msm adulation and ratings grabbing of which people like Geraldo and sidekick brother Craig (who's only verifiable employer has been Geraldo) participate.

So yes,the "piddly' 5 grand is not the payoff some were hoping for, and those greedy people can instead sue the airline and wait 10 years to get 15,ooo of which 12,500 they'll owe to their "caring" attorney. Sounds like a good deal to me, about as good as this "hope and change" Obama "crap"shoot half the country just opted for.....

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see a tv show that set up sting operations to embarrass the lawsuit happy.

Maybe a lawyer looking guy in the grocery store parking lot, asking people if they want to get in on a class action suit involving wobbly wheel grocery buggies the store neglects to fix.

I see a chance for some really creative skits bringing out hilarious social commentary.

SteveH

Silverfiddle said...

DISCLAIMER: I am not painting all attorneys with a broad brush. I am talking about the slip and fall lawyers, as Mark Levin would say.

The lawyers are killing us Ray. Ever get one of those checks in the mail for 12 cents from some law firm that put you into a class action lawsuit without you even knowing about it? I have, and I went and looked up what the law firm made, it was millions. To the lawyers, it's not about "making people whole" it's about making money by any means possible.

Canadian: US Air has been very solicitous with these passengers, giving each of them $5000 plus reimbursing them for medical expenses, lost luggage, etc, which is only right.

I am criticizing those who look at a tragedy (or a near one) and see nothing but a chance to cash in.

Chicago Ray said...

I have indeed been part of 2 Chrysler recall class actions both ending in no relief Silverfiddle. Talking about "good " lawyers, I don't want to paint the entire profession, yet like any group the good suffer for the bad apples' misdeeds.

The ambulance chasing lawyers are just a product of the overpopulation of the profession. For a number of years now the statement "that there are more lawyers in law school than are practicing" has been true and they proliferate exponentially each year.

With all these new attorneys like any other business they now have to dream up reasons to sue and drum up people through which to do it. Sad but true. That's why democrats will kill before instituting tort reform, because half the profession and 3/4 of congress would be out of work.

Anonymous said...

95% of lawyers give all lawyers a bad name.

Finntann said...

The lost baggage is moot, federal regulations cap the airlines liability at $3,300 per person.

As to the accident itself, the airline is probably free and clear, the incident fitting the legal definition (sorry C.P) of "an act of God".

The airport may be vulnerable to negligence if it can be demonstrated that they took "inadequate" measures to control bird populations in the approach and departure flight zones. However, the controls that can be used are limited by EPA regulations since the airport is in a "wetlands" area. So... Blame the Greens. If we could shoot the damn birds we wouldn't have this problem.

FAA certification requirements mandate that the engines be capable of ingesting a 4 pound bird, however the requirement does not mandate that the engine survive, only that it can be safely shut down. Unfortunately the most likely candidate in this case is the Canadian Goose, which weighs 7-14 pounds. An 11 pound bird striking an aircraft moving at a relative velocity of 171 mph has the equivalent energy of a 1-ton weight dropped from a height of 10 feet. So blame the government, or blame the Canadians (lol).

It is estimated that there is only 1 fatal accident per billion operating hours for jet aircraft. The question then becomes... how can you prove negligence? One can only reduce risk by a finite amount, and that risk can not be reduced to zero. The law requires 'reasonable and prudent' action be taken to avoid risk. 61% of bird strikes occur at altitudes below 100 ft, less than 8% occur above 900 meters, and according to what I've read, Flight 1549 was at an altitude of 3200ft (975 meters) when it ingested what are presumably geese into both engines. Given the altitude, it is unlikely that blame can be placed on the airport.

Litigation "shouldn't" get anywhere, although that's not to say the airline/airport/mfg won't settle just to avoid the risk of some imbecilic jury awarding an outrageous 'lottery' award to any parties to a class action lawsuit. Take Liebeck v McDonald's and the initial 2.8 million "hot coffee award", although reduced to $640,000, the parties settled out of court while pending appeal for an amount less than 600K.

SO...Coffee is hot, do not place plastic bags over your heads, No, you can't use your hairdryer in the shower, Preparation H is for EXTERNAL use only... and aircraft sometimes experience atmospheric turbulence, sometimes they hit birds, and sometimes they crash. GET OVER IT!

Anonymous said...

I call them "something for nothings". Those worthless individuals who feel that someone and everyone owes them something. Life is not fair! Oh, and it's dangerous too.

I think the people who sue should be awarded $5001. That way they loose the original $5K the airline originally gave them, and the lawyers loose all the expenses they rack up chasing the deep pockets.

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