Yes

8 of 10

by Mo Bruce

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Are Americans too eager to sue one another today? Well certainly, from the outside looking in, I'd say yes. Not only that, but this strange virus is spreading outside America, like some cash based swine flue.

Why do people sue? Is it a sense of moral obligation, a crusade to prevent others suffering. If that were the case, the 'winner' (and I deliberately use that term) would hand over the money to a charity, and bask in the glory of a job well done. Instead, suing is seen as getting what you deserve, or a chance to get a lump of money and changing your life.

I'm not talking about genuine cases where litigation is the only way left to bring someone to some form of justice. I'm referring to the everyday things that go wrong. The slipping on a step because it's been snowing, or the misuse of mechanical/electrica l items leading to injury. Preventable accidents where all it would have taken is the little care, or (God forbid) reading the instructions.

Instead, a culture develops where it has to be someone's fault, but not me, and if I make a mistake, I can't just say sorry, because I might get sued. Even in Scotland where I live, I have heard it. "Oh, such-and-such tripped over that step outside the grocer yesterday, I told her to sue them, and get a bit of money."

Wasn't such-and-such looking where she was going? No, she was too busy talking on her mobile phone, but apparently it's still seen as the grocer's fault.

Businesses and insurance companies have not helped. It is cheaper to just pay out money to someone on the flimsiest evidence of fault, than fight the case through court. So precedence is set.

If you have a bump in your car, and it's your fault, you can't say sorry, as it's an admission of guilt. A doctor makes a mistake, so you sue him/her, even if the doctor was saving your life, and the mistake was a byproduct of that act. Injury lawyers touting for business, and telling you it's not your fault. You should just think of the money you'll get if you win.

All of this leads to a society, which is a bit less honest, a bit less kind to each other. If we are to pull back from this brink of uncaring that we are now teetering on, we have to learn to take responsibility for our own actions. Whether we are a multi-national company, or Jenny Smith from round the corner, we all have to learn how to care again, and not keep looking for that 'main chance'. If we can't trust each other, and admit when we screw up, then life just gets that little bit more difficult for us all.

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