One MEEEEEllion Dollars
The medical tort lawyers are at it again, this time going after Merck & Co., claiming wrongful death caused by the painkiller Vioxx:
Why not ask for one trillion dollars? Or one hundred quadridodecahedrazilliongoogleplex dollars? Or demand that it be payable in Antaran psuedo-credits through the First Intergalactic Bank of Orion? That'd make just as much sense.
Uh... yeah. And the message will read: "Pay us $1 billion. Or $750,000. You know, whichever you prefer."
The damage request includes $22 million for mental anguish and personal loss and $1 billion in punitive damages, which punish a defendant for wrongful behavior.
The latter are capped at only $750,000 by Texas law, meaning the plaintiffs could collect no more than that even if the jury awarded the full $1 billion.
Why not ask for one trillion dollars? Or one hundred quadridodecahedrazilliongoogleplex dollars? Or demand that it be payable in Antaran psuedo-credits through the First Intergalactic Bank of Orion? That'd make just as much sense.
[Attorney Joe Escobedo] asked for $1 billion in punitive damages because he said it would send a message to Merck...
Uh... yeah. And the message will read: "Pay us $1 billion. Or $750,000. You know, whichever you prefer."
posted by Jar(egg)head at 16:42
3 Comments:
Easy enough to read between the lines, Joe Escobedo ask for some insane amount of money in the one state they have a punitive cap. Jury knows this and awards it to him to send a “message”. Then Escobedo files suit in say…San Fran and has a previous 1 billion dollar case to base his claim.
Pure evil that will among other things bankrupt this country
I think we should hook up electrical shock devices to tort lawyers, then give every member of the jury a remote.
"I'm suing for one bill-BZZZZT!"
"Uh, I'm suing for one mil-BZZZZT!"
"I'm suing...for... one...hundred thou-BZZZZT!"
*whimper* "We'll settle for, uh... ten...thousand?"
Upon more mature reflection, I've decided that giving remotes to members of the jury would be unfair. Everybody should have one. Make the little bastards sound like Cartman when he had the V-chip in his head.
Dress him like a chick and send him to the Boob Doctor's door for a free check up.
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