Are we a nation content to sue?

[Kryten]

The John Terry thread got me thinking about the background to the case, so I thought I'd start a new thread offf for topical debate.

IMHO this country has gone too far down the US litigation route, with people content to sue for minor accidents or "compensation"; something unheard of 20 years ago. A good example is happening locally, where a grandmother faces losing her home and business after "no-win no-fee lawyers" rattled up a legal bill of up to £30,000 fighting a compensation claim of just £2,000.

Another thing that gets up my nose are the sheer number of injury lawyer ads on TV out there - pressing to get "what is rightfully yours". I have even been contacted by a firm of lawyers relating to an accident that I had back in 99, asking if I had changed my mind about suing the driver (who was an 87 year old woman at the time).

I believe this is leading to a decline in our national morals and adding to the already hefty "compensation culture" that exists out there.

What do you think? Is it right to sue regardless of what happened, or should people be using common sense more?

 

[propersplitbrainme]

It leads to a decline in personal responsibility and an increase in the blame culture in my view. Newspaper columnists like that brain dead cretin Littlejohn who writes for the Wail are constantly harping on about 'Elf N Safety gone mad, stupid rules, officials with clipboards and all the other stereotype cliches to describe officialdom. But actually the real reason for the over-reaction and over-precaution is because companies and organiaations are terrified of being sued by greedy opportunists who have a small accident, often through their own carelessness, and then go straight to no-win no-fee lawyers.
Those who get the payouts get a short term gain, society as a whole suffers a net loss through a lack of trust a corrosion of responsibility an increase in insurance payments and the removal of activities and 'fun' things to do.

 

[busby1971]

Day time TV and the adverts that fund it say a lot about a certain section of society, I think the responsibility for own actions is no longer a given. We now have a what am I owed culture or I can have what I want attitude of people.

We've got a case going through work at the moment where two guys of equal standing took it upon themselves to move a large heavy piece of equipment to another area where it would be easier to clean; it promptly fell over. Because it was something they shouldn't be doing they tried to lift it back up manually, rather than own up and have a FLT do the heavy work, they'd got it half way up with some difficulty, at which point it fell on one of them. So now they are suing the firm because they weren't shown how to do something they shouldn't be doing properly.

Another person was thieving and was caught, at the hearing he/she tried to use the fact that they were in debt as mitigation, they were using pay day loans all the time where for every £100 they borrowed each month they paid back £125. So it's not their fault it the interest rates fault.

Pay day loans and no win no fee lawyers should be banned in my book.

 

[sp4rks]

I am constantly getting those annoying texts claiming they can get me £3750, i just delete them, annoyingly if you try to reply and get rid of them they charge you for the texts (although i am not that stupid to try that, the delete button works just fine).

If they aren't trying to ruin peoples lives by claiming huge amounts of cash to give you a minimal payput then they are trying to rip people off by charging them to stop receiving texts.

JUST Fu*K OFF YOU CNUTS

 

[Kryten]

I am constantly getting those annoying texts claiming they can get me £3750, i just delete them, annoyingly if you try to reply and get rid of them they charge you for the texts (although i am not that stupid to try that, the delete button works just fine).

If they aren't trying to ruin peoples lives by claiming huge amounts of cash to give you a minimal payput then they are trying to rip people off by charging them to stop receiving texts.

JUST Fu*K OFF YOU CNUTS

Are they from firms claiming they can get you money back from mis-sold PPI? Not only did I get a text from one of these firms, but within 30 mins of receiving one they called me up and asked what loans/mortgages etc I had taken out in the last ten years - they were quite suprised when I told them I hadn't taken anything out - and then got quite antsy when I demanded to know how they had gotten hold of my mobile number...


I agree with Busby's comment about responsibility for one's own actions is no longer a given - I was off over the last couple of weeks, and on the odd occasion where I was at home with the telly on literally every advert was either from a claims lawyer, an injury lawyer, a legal firm offering help with PPI claims or a pay day loan agency.....

 

[Tin basher]

I was off over the last couple of weeks, and on the odd occasion where I was at home with the telly on literally every advert was either from a claims lawyer, an injury lawyer, a legal firm offering help with PPI claims or a pay day loan agency.....

That I feel is the main target audience those at home all day, every day, the not working element. (Generalisation coming up) That lot are more than happy with a something for nothing lifestyle. The state keep them in fags and ale and now there's an advert that promises thousands on a no win no fee basis. So the chavs sue scatter gun style knowing it won't cost them and they might get some more dosh for fags and ale for them it's win, win. The fact they may have to embelish, omit or add a few "facts" to help things along won't trouble what passes for their moral backbone one jot. Are we more ready to sue? for some it's a way of getting back at the man.

 

[Spearmint]

I had some 'European' Gentleman drive into the side of my car in 2010. Only cosmetic damage and no injury claims put in at the time as, well I wasn't injured and neither was the other driver. Everything eventually gets sorted with the other driver admitting full liability.

6 months later, a firm ring me up about the accident.

Parasites: 'Your accident Sir, were you injured?'

Me: 'No'

Parasites: 'Are you sure?' 'A stiff neck perhaps?' 'Headache?'

Me: 'No, and I'm not claiming otherwise!'

Parasites: 'Oh well the other driver has put an injury claim in....'

Me: 'Has he now? Guess he'll be paying for that as well then as it was his fault!' 'Now sod off, I'm having my lunch!'

 

[Jaymac]

Are they from firms claiming they can get you money back from mis-sold PPI? Not only did I get a text from one of these firms, but within 30 mins of receiving one they called me up and asked what loans/mortgages etc I had taken out in the last ten years - they were quite suprised when I told them I hadn't taken anything out - and then got quite antsy when I demanded to know how they had gotten hold of my mobile number...


I agree with Busby's comment about responsibility for one's own actions is no longer a given - I was off over the last couple of weeks, and on the odd occasion where I was at home with the telly on literally every advert was either from a claims lawyer, an injury lawyer, a legal firm offering help with PPI claims or a pay day loan agency.....

Ha ha. I got a call from one of this lot a couple of months ago and decided to play them along. Here is the gist of the conversation:

Mong: I'm calling to let you claim back up to £7,500 in mis-sold PPI
Me: How does that work then?
Mong: You just fill out our form and we can get you £7,500. Are you interested?
Me: Too true. Crack on!!
Mong: OK, I just need your name........

Interruption:
Me: But surely you already know my name if you have called me and know I am entitled to £7,500?
Mong: But we need it to check out the loans you have had in the last 10 years.
Me: I've not had any.
Mong: Haven't you replaced your car or had a new kitchen, bathroom etc?
Me: I've replaced the car 3 times and had a new conservatory built.
Mong: OK. We'll look at the loans you took out for them.
Me: I didn't take out loans for any of them.
Mong: How did you pay for them?
Me: Cash.
Mong: Oh, I see. Wre you perhaps mis-sold a mortgage?
Me: Possibly. I pay 0.34% above BoE base rate. Do you think I can sue the cnuts?
Mong: Thank you for your time Mr Jaymac, I'll put you on our list of people not to contact in future. Thank you for your time.
Me: No, thank YOU. It's been a pleasure.

5 minutes of their time they will never get back nor make a profit. Result, with the real bonus they have never called me since.:0

 

[TheRockApe1918]

Yes we seem to be a nation content to sue and the greedy ambulance chasers just get richer and richer.

 

[XVR RA RA RA]

So what would you do if you were severely injured in your work place because the greedy management would not buy equipment, provide the right training and cut corners?

The only way to deter this from happening is to hit them where it hurts the most.... their wallet. Then they will learn.

 

[busby1971]

So what would you do if you were severely injured in your work place because the greedy management would not buy equipment, provide the right training and cut corners?

The only way to deter this from happening is to hit them where it hurts the most.... their wallet. Then they will learn.

So what does an employer do when they have put the best safety measures they can in place and an employee chooses to ignore all the advice given and set processes and the result is they injure themselves or their work mates and then they (all) sue the company.

The Law and fines should be sufficient deterrent, ambulance chasing, day time TV advertising lawyers are only in it for themselves, if they really cared they'd be doing it pro bono.

 

[firestorm]

So what does an employer do when they have put the best safety measures they can in place and an employee chooses to ignore all the advice given and set processes and the result is they injure themselves or their work mates and then they (all) sue the company.

They win their case as they've complied with the law by taking all preventative measures.

 

[Inevertouchedit]

As Co-Director of a Company that makes a lot of money from 'Slip & Trip' cases, I naturally have a different viewpoint, I represent a lot of the afternoon TV ads crowd - Harris Fowler, Fentons, NAHL etc as an expert witness (Won a case last month at the infamous 'Mid Staffs Hospital - never rains, but it pours....) in Court cases.

You go to 'a big supermarket' for a pint of milk, slip over and break your ankle because the architect who specified the floor failed to understand the rules around 'slipperiness of floors in a public place' - a clear case of negligence. Are you happy to just brush it off and say 'forget it' ? Or would you pursue a case for loss of earnings etc etc etc.....

A lady did just that at Asda last year and I proved the floors weren't up to specification and won her £17k