[Lups]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

Just because people say they will sue or even file a suit doesn't mean they are going to win anything. Most of the crazy lawsuit stories you hear never amount to anything.

From a consumer side, the threat of lawsuit (in part) means product warranties in the US are often the best, and safety recalls are more likely in the US. It's harder to take advantage of the consumer here than elsewhere.

And no one has ever been sued in your country? Doubtful.

I understand all that, I'm sorry I didn't make it clear that I do have some faith in your system too. Still, the first thing here that got my attention was a ladder, with 7 steps and 12 health and safety stickers. I laughed till I realized that every one of those is a lawsuit lost by the manufacturer or the firm that bought them.

We in the EU would not call your system superior, but that's an other thread and a lot of time spend on a keyboard, and I'm sure I haven't got the vocabulary to have that conversation.

We don't get to sue for personal gain, our system is really different than the one here.

[CirrusSR22]

I'm not suggesting the US system is better. It's just not the insane free-for-all that some people think it is.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

Just because people say they will sue or even file a suit doesn't mean they are going to win anything. Most of the crazy lawsuit stories you hear never amount to anything.

It still ends up costing everyone money and time. Take healthcare for example, where everything is expensive because providers and hospitals have to hire lawyers to protect against other lawyers. Providers' overhead is insanely high due to the ridiculous cost of malpractice insurance, because people love to turn around and sue the doctor who just saved their life.

America stupidly allows its lawyers to operate on contingency so anyone anywhere can decide that you wronged them somehow and find some ambulance chaser to take the case. Even if their claims and case are totally ridiculous you're still in court for two years and shelling out money on a lawyer of your own, and there isn't a damn thing that you can do about it.

If people always had to pay up front for legal representation then you'd see way fewer of these frivolous suits.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by PINeely

It still ends up costing everyone money and time. Take healthcare for example, where everything is expensive because providers and hospitals have to hire lawyers to protect against other lawyers. Providers' overhead is insanely high due to the ridiculous cost of malpractice insurance, because people love to turn around and sue the doctor who just saved their life.

America stupidly allows its lawyers to operate on contingency so anyone anywhere can decide that you wronged them somehow and find some ambulance chaser to take the case. Even if their claims and case are totally ridiculous you're still in court for two years and shelling out money on a lawyer of your own, and there isn't a damn thing that you can do about it.

If people always had to pay up front for legal representation then you'd see way fewer of these frivolous suits.

You nailed it.

[ybbiz34]

Originally Posted by PINeely

It still ends up costing everyone money and time. Take healthcare for example, where everything is expensive because providers and hospitals have to hire lawyers to protect against other lawyers. Providers' overhead is insanely high due to the ridiculous cost of malpractice insurance, because people love to turn around and sue the doctor who just saved their life.

America stupidly allows its lawyers to operate on contingency so anyone anywhere can decide that you wronged them somehow and find some ambulance chaser to take the case. Even if their claims and case are totally ridiculous you're still in court for two years and shelling out money on a lawyer of your own, and there isn't a damn thing that you can do about it.

If people always had to pay up front for legal representation then you'd see way fewer of these frivolous suits.

If the claim is frivolous, it will be dismissed by the judge. Regardless of whether the case is taken on a contingency basis. From a civil procedure standpoint, your pleading has to pass muster.

And as someone else said, nearly 95% of all cases settle without trial.

[PINeely]

Originally Posted by ybbiz34

If the claim is frivolous, it will be dismissed by the judge. Regardless of whether the case is taken on a contingency basis. From a civil procedure standpoint, your pleading has to pass muster.

And as someone else said, nearly 95% of all cases settle without trial.

One of the doctors I work with recently fired an employee because she was useless. Now she is suing him, claiming that he fired her after she refused to have sex with him. This is her third or fourth time pulling this stunt and each time she has lost (thankfully). She also once sued her dirt-poor neighbor when her kid fell off the trampoline and broke a bone, saying that the neighbor should have been watching her kid to make sure he wasn't doing anything dangerous. She was not home at the time.

You get the picture, every day is her day in court.

Regardless of whether or not she is telling the truth, this "sue everyone and eventually one will stick" shotgun approach is costing her absolutely nothing since her lawyer works on contingency. Meanwhile everyone she sues has to spend time and money to defend themselves, even if they did nothing wrong. Even if the case does eventually get dismissed, it still costs you.

I know that this is a personal anecdote and doesn't count for much, but if she had to pay a $500 retainer every time she probably wouldn't have sued anybody, ever. At very least she'd have to pick one incident and run with that one. The only reason people like that even try is because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by ybbiz34

If the claim is frivolous, it will be dismissed by the judge. Regardless of whether the case is taken on a contingency basis. From a civil procedure standpoint, your pleading has to pass muster.

And as someone else said, nearly 95% of all cases settle without trial.

It's still a lot of time and paper. Our system is based on the wild assumption that a person has to use their own reasoning, and is indeed responsible for their own fuckups.

As for medical field, they are insured by the government and if they mess up, there will be compensations, but they are minimal. Our social benefit system compensates accordingly, for example an early retirement is an option if needed.

No one has sued me yet, so all is good in my wonderland! I'll get shot by the end of the day after writing this, I'm sure.

[P1]

Originally Posted by Lups

Yeah, we moved here for two years from Northern Europe. It gives me the pleasure of being mean about two continents, and explains why my English really sucks. We have been here only for four months or so, so be patient.

As a fellow European, where are you from? Because we have roughly 12 cameras at our house in Western-Europe...

[Lups]

Originally Posted by P1et

As a fellow European, where are you from? Because we have roughly 12 cameras at our house in Western-Europe...

Finland, and we have about 12 people in our country.

[P1]

Originally Posted by Lups

Finland, and we have about 12 people in our country.

If yours has 12, mine has 24

[Lups]

Originally Posted by P1et

If yours has 12, mine has 24

Netherlands? I suck at geography, so don't kill me. Those tiny things around that area is the only place I don't place more than 10 million people.
(I try not to google stuff, but the brain doesn't work with me anymore.)

[P1]

Originally Posted by Lups

Netherlands? I suck at geography, so don't kill me. Those tiny things around that area is the only place I don't place more than 10 million people.
(I try not to google stuff, but the brain doesn't work with me anymore.)

Close! Belgium...

[Lups]

Originally Posted by P1et

Close! Belgium...

Gimme the chocolate, now! Sorry I couldn't be more accurate, it's been 13 years since my last geography lesson.

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by Lups

Gimme the chocolate, now! Sorry I couldn't be more accurate, it's been 13 years since my last geography lesson.

How American of you

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by PINeely

One of the doctors I work with recently fired an employee because she was useless. Now she is suing him, claiming that he fired her after she refused to have sex with him. This is her third or fourth time pulling this stunt and each time she has lost (thankfully)

Figures. That doctor should just not hire women. That's legal and won't get him sued right????

[Lups]

Originally Posted by ddk632

How American of you

Hey I'm just trying to fit in by not fitting into my pants!

This again goes to the off topic off topic list of mine (there is no other list) but yesterday I went to the QFC again, and the nice cheese lady gave me samples. After the third sample I said to her that I will sue her when I reach the size of an American, and she turned pale.

I looked back, and I swear it was not a man, it was a mountain of lard that had the meanest look in his face while he decided not to take samples offered. Not my best moment by far, and the way I had to almost run to the wine shells to laugh at that situation just topped it of. I would use a smiley, but none of the options have any kind of shameful expression in their round (which would be fitting) faces.

[P1]

Originally Posted by Lups

Hey I'm just trying to fit in by not fitting into my pants!

This again goes to the off topic off topic list of mine (there is no other list) but yesterday I went to the QFC again, and the nice cheese lady gave me samples. After the third sample I said to her that I will sue her when I reach the size of an American, and she turned pale.

I looked back, and I swear it was not a man, it was a mountain of lard that had the meanest look in his face while he decided not to take samples offered. Not my best moment by far, and the way I had to almost run to the wine shells to laugh at that situation just topped it of. I would use a smiley, but none of the options have any kind of shameful expression in their round (which would be fitting) faces.

That's amazing...

My favorite thing about Americans is that they are easily offended. It was right around the time when I first moved to the US when I was at this place called Jason's Deli. It was around Christmas time, and Jason's Deli had plastered "Merry Christmas" all over the restaurant and actually translated it in various languages, even Dutch! Cool stuff. But there were was an American couple in front of me, and the lady asked to speak to the manager. She was OFFENDED that she could not find a German translation, saying she was German. Well, she wasn't, she was a normal American, but probably her father's father's mother's dog's cat was from Germany. So she complained and ended up getting a free lunch. I called her out for not being German and just being an American, but she didn't care. She ate her free lunch... unreal!

[Lups]

Originally Posted by P1et

That's amazing...

My favorite thing about Americans is that they are easily offended. It was right around the time when I first moved to the US when I was at this place called Jason's Deli. It was around Christmas time, and Jason's Deli had plastered "Merry Christmas" all over the restaurant and actually translated it in various languages, even Dutch! Cool stuff. But there were was an American couple in front of me, and the lady asked to speak to the manager. She was OFFENDED that she could not find a German translation, saying she was German. Well, she wasn't, she was a normal American, but probably her father's father's mother's dog's cat was from Germany. So she complained and ended up getting a free lunch. I called her out for not being German and just being an American, but she didn't care. She ate her free lunch... unreal!

Holy shit your story rocks. And because you too are a rude European, I'll tell you mine.

I hate idiots. Can't help it, and I do not mean mentally slow, but people who act like pricks and are rude to others they condemn to be beneath themselves. I can't help it, but racists and pricks bring out the worst in me, and I never miss an opportunity to make them pay.

In the hotel we first stayed here I met all sorts of people, and some of them I actually keep contact with daily, so I'm not a total no-life. The staff was absolutely wonderful, and they tried extremely hard to keep the customers happy. Some of the customers made my blood boil so badly. Two examples stood out, and now I'm going to share, sorry.

There was this really uptight Texan (sorry if someone get's offended because of this) lady, who got under my skin better than anyone before that point. The staff was trying to make sure the environment was enjoyable for a meal, and everyone had what they needed, and every time I saw her (which was on every meal), she did something to make them feel low.

My patience snapped, when she dropped a placate which had the information for the allergic people in it, and her husband asked her what was the sound. She looked so meanly at Robert (the man responsible keeping the buffet running) and just smiled and said "nothing". She dared Robert to do something, and of course he couldn't so I picked up the placate, and landed it nicely in the top of her plate copying her facial expression. She was so mad, and wanted to have a tantrum, but finally gave in and walked away.

The second one was a man, who had the worst day ever in his hands. His room was in the second floor, and due to a fire alarm, the elevators were not working. He shouted to the people at the front desk long and hard, demanding that the hotel manager comes back to work to sooth him, since the English spoken by the staff was so awful (the man in the front desk had a slight accent, a very nice one) that he refused to talk to them anymore. It was 11pm at that point, and the manager was in home sleeping at that time. An other person walked to the line behind me, and I made sure I was loud and clear when I told him to hold, there is a crises going on, an American has been made to walk. The complaining stopped then, and I asked the idiot nicely, whether I can help him with his bag (Backpack) since I have the stamina to help out a fellow human being. The word bitch has never sounded that good!