Personal accountability will never win. This is America.

If they made any real beer in Colorado, this might be significant.

Indeed, Fat Tire is the shiat

Tort reform is one of the stupidest ideas ever.

Instead of stopping people from suing the current two major law-suit targets in this reactionary shortsighted law, a better solution would be to make people that get cases thrown out of court pay for the court costs, plus the attorney fee of the defence.

oh wait. that would work.

Same state that changed the libel laws, at the behest of the meat and fast food industry, placing the burden of proof with the defense, making it incredibly difficult to speak out about legitimate problems regarding both industries, without fear of getting the shiat sued out of you.

People sue beer companies now?

Eating fast food makes you fat??? DUH!

You don't think getting such-and-such from Brand X fast food joint is bad because you get diet beverage/no bun/the smaller fried potato confection? Fast Food is BAD!

Atkins Sucks! Lawyers suck more!

Beer impairs drivers and alcohol related accidents cause #### fatlities.

There, I said it. NOBODY ELSE NEEDS TO SAY THESE THINGS. Already been said.

Go on with your merry selves. . .

doccm9: So true.
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2004-01-14 10:11:42 PM jrichmond68


Tort reform is one of the stupidest ideas ever.

Instead of stopping people from suing the current two major law-suit targets in this reactionary shortsighted law, a better solution would be to make people that get cases thrown out of court pay for the court costs, plus the attorney fee of the defence.

oh wait. that would work.

Exactly. Which is why it will never be accepted by the government or the public in general.

Fark needs a tag..

Haven't all the "I have health problems because of Micky D's" lawsuits been thrown out of court even before they went to trial? Wouldn't that sorta make it a non-issue?

Me thinks some law makers are pandering to the fast food industry during an election year.

They bought their burgers and fries. They knew what they were getting in to. I say let 'em crash...

One critical part of tort reform should be the right of the defendant to counter-sue for damaged reputation and inconvenience when faced with a frivolous lawsuit.

Judge finds suit to be frivolous, plaintiff pays dearly for being a litigious asshat.

Attorney fees and court costs aren't enough. There needs to be a punitive element to give real risk to filing dumbass lawsuits.

nstead of stopping people from suing the current two major law-suit targets in this reactionary shortsighted law, a better solution would be to make people that get cases thrown out of court pay for the court costs, plus the attorney fee of the defence.

They do that here in Texas. I guess we aren't as backwards as some think.

Indeed, they did know what they were getting into.

For this same reason, all drugs should be legalized.

Discuss.

10:20:06 PM Muta: Haven't all the "I have health problems because of Micky D's" lawsuits been thrown out of court even before they went to trial? Wouldn't that sorta make it a non-issue?

Trouble is, they keep bringing new cases over and over until they get one that 'hits'. That opens the flood gates. That's how it went with tobacco, silicon breast implants, and a number of other industries.

Kitten_Slayer: Ahh, but only damn dirty liberals and degenerates smoke weed, and hell knows weed kills more people than alcohol and cigarettes right?

Damn dirty hippies.

/If you can't pick up the sarcasm, you got problems.

Paying the opposing side's attorney fees is an extremely retarded idea unless you also have some plan for limiting their expenses.

Why are cigarette companies fair game, while fast food and alcohol companies aren't?

(I once smoked 2 packs of menthols, ate 7 double cheeseburgers and drank 24 beers. And I'm not suing anyone because it was like an earthly paradise.)

What the hell? I didn't see anything in that article about beer. And believe you me, I was looking. Not that I want to sue any beer companies, mind you, but rather just to see my favorite word in print.
Beer. Oh my, that's lovely.

I think we're going to get warning labels on fast food soon.

They will say:

"Eating this will turn you into a fat, lazy farktard. Don't come crying to us about your high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. And your Mamma's a lazy biatch for not cooking you a real dinner. ---The Management"

Lawyers aren't bad, but they have to do bad things. That's the crappy part of being a lawyer. You can't just take whatever clients you choose. Sooner or later, you are going to get a case where you know your client is guilty, but you'll have to defend him anyway because you'll either lose major money (independant) or get fired (in a firm). Sadly, we DO need lawyers, because our asshats nazi leaders make the law so incredibly complex that you need to spend a lifetime just trying to interpret it. The government is supposed to be for the people, and laws should be written FOR the people, as in a way that they can understand it without resorting to a lawyer. Don't look down on lawyers. We need them. Don't assume they are evil. Yes, there are evil lawyers (*cough* Johnny Cochran *cough*), but most are just trying to make a living. They know they are going to do something morally wrong, but as adults, they know sometimes we must have necessary evils.

"Lawyers, I suppose, were children once." -Charles Lamb

Gurued: I must agree. Beer is grand.

Muta,

they were thrown out.

but the judge said hed allow them to refile on the ground that they dont know exactly what is in the food.

"mcfrankenstein creations" or something like that about the Chicken Nuggets.

Trouble is, they keep bringing new cases over and over until they get one that 'hits'. That opens the flood gates. That's how it went with tobacco, silicon breast implants, and a number of other industries.

Fine, we pass a law saying you can't sue fast food companies. Then I find out they knowingly used beef with mad cow disease and my wife dies a horrific death. Unfortunately there is a law that "prohibit(s) consumers who suffer health problems because of a junk food diet from suing manufacturers".

I am sorry. The solution described in the article is far too broad.

Fine, we pass a law saying you can't sue fast food companies. Then I find out they knowingly used beef with mad cow disease and my wife dies a horrific death. Unfortunately there is a law that "prohibit(s) consumers who suffer health problems because of a junk food diet from suing manufacturers".

there's a small problem with this...you CAN sue a fast food company if you get food poisoning or mad cow, especially if they knowingly serve you tainted food. You CANNOT sue because you ate one ton too many McHeartattacks and got fat.

In other news, Colorado is much smarter than other states for doing this sooner than later.

Trial lawyers are a blight to this country.

suing cigarette manufacturers for causing cancer, suing fast food companies for causing obesity, suing beer manufacuteres for public intoxication and D.U.I.'s? what's next? suing bullet makers when you shoot yourself in the foot? or commit suicide?

fark this.

it's your own farking fault you're fat, drunk, full of cancer and missing a toe because yer too damned stoopid to put down the farking fork, beer, cigarette and shotgun.

shoot yourself and save me the trouble.

/rant off

Its bout time frivolous lawsuits come to a halt... Unfortunately I have not sued any company pre law.
then again I live in Canada, time to sue Canadian tire for mental anguish, waiting in line at customer service to return Motomaster crap.

What about people suing hot cocoa sampler box companies?

Now if only we could make this a federal law and put any lawyer who takes on one of these cases in Jail, now were talking!!!!

Umm Judge, I ate 12 hambugers everyday and now I weigh 400 pounds and it's all McDonalds fault because I'm a worthless fat fark who can't think for myself! I want $1,250,000 because they made me fat. Besides with all that money I can retire and can sit on my fat arse and get fatter.

This stupid fast food lawsuit shiat keeps popping up because conservatives are doing the only thing they know how to do. Find the lowest common denominator, the biggest idiot, the most ludicrous, most obviously absurd person, thing, lawsuit, etc and run their mouth about it nonstop. They think that no one else can see the absurdity and they are going to win some sort of contest for being the loudest to decry the stupid criminal, or the fast food lawsuit, or the darwin award winner, or whatever.

It doesn't make you intelligent to remark on what others see as both obvious and futile to debate. Please stop.

I'm all for putting an end to pointless lawsuits. In fact, it makes me so incredibly angry when I see people suing a fast food chain because they're obese or clumsy and spilled coffee on themselves (or both).

On the other hand we have to watch how much accountability we remove from fast food chains. Back in the mid eighties (well before it became the fashion to sue companies for just about anything) I was stricken with quite a violent case of food poisoning from good ol' McD's. Bed-ridden for two days, sick for several more, lost fifteen pounds total and (it's suspected) I was left with a lifelong medical condition from the ordeal. Not pleasant.

Granted I didn't sue, and probably wouldn't even if it happened today, but to think that I might not have the right to pursue legal action would be a scary thought. Yes I understand that this is about the frivolous suits, but our legal system is built upon a slippery slope where precedent can help determine outcome. Who's to say what is and what isn't frivolous, and removing accountability on the part of the corporation is probably a bad thing. What we need is accountability on both parties. You bring a frivolous suit? You assume accountability when it gets tossed.

/Just my $0.02

Next thing you know they'll be suing sex therapists because they didn't warn 'em fellatio could have calorie consequences.

mutilato...it's not the corporations fault that people are fat/drunk/dying of cancer. we all make our own decisions every day, nobody else makes them for us (unless yer married).

if I wanna go out and stuff my face full of burgers and fries, suck down a 12 pack of beer, smoke a carton of cigarettes and die a fat, drunk cancer patient then that's my choice.

it's not the corporations responsibility to keep us healthy, it's ours, and suing McDonalds because you're a fat fark does absolutely nothing but jack up the prices so the rest of us have to pay for your stupidity.(this is not directed at you, mutilato, just in general)

YAY for living in CO!

I can't sue McD's for being fat, but I can shoot you if you're in MY house!

People are actually bringing legal issues to our courts? This is an outrage!! Our courts are supposed to be used for other stuff! Thank god rush limbaugh told me that.

Damned right-wing corporate stooges! Why, we have the immutable RIGHT to make other people pay for our own stupidity! We have the immutable RIGHT to refuse to take personal responsiblity. Indeed, this whole "personal responsibility" thing is nothing more than a racist, sexist, right-wing neonazi conspiracy!

Haven't all the "I have health problems because of Micky D's" lawsuits been thrown out of court even before they went to trial? Wouldn't that sorta make it a non-issue?

And all the "I got cancer because of Marlboro." lawsuits were thrown out of court for several years, too.

Your moronic attempt to gloss over the next step in the extinction of civil liberties doesn't wash.

Sen. Peter Groff, a Denver Democrat who voted for the measure, said lawmakers may be going too far. "Do you think there should be some warning to the public that eating this food is bad for your health?" he asked.
What is he, retarded?