TCowner
Platinum Member
I'm not a lawyer and they certainly don't need me to defend them but sometimes I think we blame the wrong people.
Manufacturers are always making decisions on what to build based upon liability exposure if something goes wrong even if it is cleary the fault of some idiot using the equipment. All of the extra safety equipment (such as not allowing to mow in reverse unless we pull up on the PTO switch) is based upon trying to limit the liability if someone fails to use some common sense in the way they operate their equipment.
But in most cases the large personal injury awards that scare the hell out of the manufacturers result from the decision of the 12 boneheads on the jury. Thats right, our peers are the ones deciding that an idiot who uses his John Deere 21" push mower to trim his honeysuckle hedge should be compensated for his injuries because nowhere on the mower does it say "DON"T USE THIS MOWER TO TRIM YOUR HEDGE". These two clowns thought they could hold the mower up in the air as they walked along the hedge.
But remember it wasn't the lawyer who is awarding millions of dollars to morons. The lawyer only makes the arguement. The jury of our peers are the ones deciding that the manufacturer should pay out to the moron.
I agree that lawyers push these cases to make money. But in the end it comes down to each of us. If we are on a jury we just say no to the plaintiff who wants a million dollars to cover his act of stupidity. When the jury starts to act responsibly the lawyers won't get paid and they won't take the cases.
Manufacturers are always making decisions on what to build based upon liability exposure if something goes wrong even if it is cleary the fault of some idiot using the equipment. All of the extra safety equipment (such as not allowing to mow in reverse unless we pull up on the PTO switch) is based upon trying to limit the liability if someone fails to use some common sense in the way they operate their equipment.
But in most cases the large personal injury awards that scare the hell out of the manufacturers result from the decision of the 12 boneheads on the jury. Thats right, our peers are the ones deciding that an idiot who uses his John Deere 21" push mower to trim his honeysuckle hedge should be compensated for his injuries because nowhere on the mower does it say "DON"T USE THIS MOWER TO TRIM YOUR HEDGE". These two clowns thought they could hold the mower up in the air as they walked along the hedge.
But remember it wasn't the lawyer who is awarding millions of dollars to morons. The lawyer only makes the arguement. The jury of our peers are the ones deciding that the manufacturer should pay out to the moron.
I agree that lawyers push these cases to make money. But in the end it comes down to each of us. If we are on a jury we just say no to the plaintiff who wants a million dollars to cover his act of stupidity. When the jury starts to act responsibly the lawyers won't get paid and they won't take the cases.
