Tragic Stupidity

[blknight3]

I just read the below, and was not only saddened at the tragedy, but amazed by the stupidity and audacity of the situation.

To think that we live in a society that will allow someone that has so flagrantly broken not only the laws of the land, but the laws of basic common sense to turn around and sue completlely innocent people for that just blows my mind.

Then we sit and contemplate why our countries, and the world are so screwed up?!?!?!?!

The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.
The suit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court by Dean Hancock of Tupelo, Miss., does not specify damages. Mike Shannon's Restaurant, owned by the longtime Cardinals broadcaster who starred on three World Series teams in the 1960s, is a defendant in the case along with Shannon's daughter, Patricia Shannon Van Matre, the restaurant manager.

Other defendants include Eddie's Towing, the company whose flatbed tow truck was struck by Hancock's sport utility vehicle in the early hours of April 29; tow truck driver Jacob Edward Hargrove; and Justin Tolar, the driver whose stalled car on Interstate 64 was being assisted by Hargrove.
The Cardinals and Major League Baseball were not listed as defendants.
Authorities said the 29-year pitcher had a blood content of nearly twice the legal limit for alcohol in his system when he crashed into the back of the tow truck. He was also speeding, using a cell phone and wasn't wearing a seat belt, Police Chief Joe Mokwa said after the accident. Marijuana also was found in the SUV.

Mokwa said Hancock went to Shannon's not long after the Cardinals played a day game against the Chicago Cubs on April 28. The lawsuit claimed that Hancock was a regular at the restaurant bar and was there for more than 31/2 hours.

"It's understood that for the entire 31/2 hours that Josh Hancock was there that he was handed drinks," Keith Kantack, a lawyer for Dean Hancock, said. "It's our understanding that from the moment Josh Hancock entered Mike Shannon's that night that he was never without a drink."

A person answering phones at the restaurant declined comment. A message left with Van Matre was not returned.
The lawsuit claimed Tolar was negligent in allowing his Geo Prism to reach the point where it stalled on the highway, and for failing to move it out of the way of oncoming traffic. A police report said the Prism became stalled when it spun out after being cut off by another vehicle.
Police said Hargrove noticed the stalled vehicle and stopped to help. The report said he told officers he was there five to seven minutes before his truck was hit by Hancock's SUV. But Kantack said the tow truck may have been there up to 15 minutes, yet failed to get the stalled vehicle out of the way.

"Were the police contacted?" Kantack asked. "Why weren't flares put out? Why was the tow truck there for an exorbitant amount of time?"
Tolar did not have a listed telephone number. Calls to the towing company were met with a busy signal.

Kantack said others could be added later as defendants in the suit. He declined to speculate on whether the Cardinals or Major League Baseball could be added to the suit, but said the Hancock family has been "overwhelmed by the support and respect the Cardinals have shown since Josh's passing."

Dean Hancock said in a statement that the "facts and circumstances" of Josh's death "have caused great pain to all of Josh's family." As administrator of his son's estate, Dean Hancock said he has an obligation to represent the family on all issues, "including any legal actions necessary against those who contributed to the untimely and unnecessary death."
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[spartanstew]

Shouldn't he also sue the following:

1. The person that sold him the pot
2. The cell phone company
3. Whomever he was talking to on the cell phone
4. The car manufacturer (for not having automatic seat belts).

[blknight3]

[daripper]

And people wonder why all of the criminals are out on the streets and not behind bars and the reason for that is
the court system being so tied up and backed up with all of these frivolous lawsuits. You can not hardly pick up
a newspaper now days and read it without reading about someone suing someone else for this or that and almost
everyday on the Internet you read about some big company suing another company big or small for this or that it's
getting to the point that I don't want to read any news anymore or listen to the nightly news on TV. Hey if you need
to make a buck or two just sue your neighbor for stepping on your lawn and bending a blade or two of grass that ought
to be worth a couple of million dollars and I'd almost bet the courts would take the case too.
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[Jezebel]

They should also sue his manager Tony LaRussa for being arrested for DUI in spring training. Obviously the kid was just emulating his boss.

[blknight3]

Sad to say ripper, but oh so true. Th worst thing I think is when you read about the people in jails sueing. A few years back, about 1o I thikn there was a bigdeal on 20 /20 about law suits filed from jail. I only remember two bt there were a lot more. One was a guy was suing because he could only get one jam with his toast, and the other was suing because he was not allowed a glass of wine with his dinner beauce it was his religious belief.

I mean come on.... you're being punished for a crime. Sheesh!!!!

And the courst were allowing this. If I remember right the figure was something like 40% of the cases in court were for stupid things like this. And apparantly it isn't getting any better.
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[daripper]

I know this isn't a nice thing to say but it is no ones fault except for Josh Hancock's
fault, him being the one to blame for his own death. He should have known his own
tolerance/limit for drinking alcohol. All he would have had to say is NO THANKS!!! after
reaching his limit on drinks and not being too impaired to drive. I'll just say back when
I used to drink I always knew my limit and I always stopped just short of reaching it
and always just said the magic two words of "No Thanks" to more drinks if I was driving.
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[talion]

That is just sheer idiocy.

Not to offend my American neighbors, but with respect only to the issue of lawsuit happy people, and the system that encourages it, I'm glad I'm Canadian, where our system doesn't allow so many frivolous lawsuits, and doesn't pay the gigantic paydays for the ones that do go through, which discourages the whole concept.

Stuff like this makes me sick.

[DVDCoverArt]

Sometimes it seems like our society has forgotten that people should be held accountable for their "Own" actions, including those that tragically contributed to an untimely and unnecessary death.

Regardless of the laws in place that are designed to help protect us, we still have our free agency, which is why some people choose to drink and drive. It was that decision which caused this tragic untimely and unnecessary death.

What will really be tragic is if if they actually win their lawsuit.
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