Re: Fw: Why do we put so many warnings in our manuals?

["Richard G. Combs" <richard -dot- combs -at- voyanttech -dot- com>]

Jane Carnall wrote:

> I've often wondered if the "forced to sue" culture in the US doesn't have
as
> much to do with the lack of a comprehensive free-at-point-of-service
health
> service as anything else.

It has far more to do with differences in the legal system. For instance,
Britain has a "loser pays" principle for civil actions -- if you sue and
lose, you must pay the court costs _and_ the legal fees of the victorious
party. This adds an element of risk that makes one think twice about the
likelihood of prevailing.

In the US, there is typically no such risk (the trial lawyers lobby has
successfully fought off all efforts toward such reforms). And there are many
attorneys willing to take almost any case on a contingency fee basis --
frequently just speculating (correctly, most of the time) that a
"deep-pockets" defendant will find it cheaper to settle out of court than to
incur the considerable costs of fighting the case.

I'm being good, Jane -- I won't address the national health service issue at
all. ;-)

BTW, I loved this statement and will save it: "When you make a mistake that
causes damage,
admit it, fix it, and apologise." Words to live by. Succinct, sensible, and
fair.

Richard

------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT voyanttechDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT freeDASHmarketDOTnet
303-777-0436
------







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