UPDATE 14 January 2004
To encourage responsible behavior, the professor cited the phony McDonald's coffee spill lawsuit (link from findlaw). 'Frivolous lawsuit wins $2.9 million judgement.' Alas, the lawsuit was not frivolous; everything that's commonly remembered about the case is wrong. Read more here (Public Citizen) and here (Consumer Attorneys of California) and here (Washington State Trial Lawyers Association). What bugs me about this is that most of the students in this class were about 10 years old when this case was in the news--they have no memory of the facts of the case, just the frivolous lawsuits are out of control myth that never seems to die. Even a website that gives out 'Stella' awards (named after the plaintiff in the McDonald's coffee spill case) for frivolous lawsuits admits that the Stella case doesn't qualify for one.
Father, let me dedicate All this year to you
In whatever earthly state You will have me be
Not from sorrow, pain, or care Freedom dare I claim;
This alone shall be my prayer: Glorify Your name.
--from New Year's Hymn by Lawrence Tuttiett, 1864 (alt.)
In whatever earthly state You will have me be
Not from sorrow, pain, or care Freedom dare I claim;
This alone shall be my prayer: Glorify Your name.
--from New Year's Hymn by Lawrence Tuttiett, 1864 (alt.)
