In America, why is the first thought or solution to any problem a law suit?

Question

No matter what happens (you lose your job, have a minor car accident, your neighbor makes you angry, you buy expired food) most American's thoughts immediately turn to lawsuits.

Is it just every American's dream to be set for life due to a minor inconvenience?
Or is it greed & greedy lawyers?

Or are we just so blind that we cannot see that our frivolous lawsuits are running American jobs out of America and we do not care that our children's opportunities are dwindling?

Your thoughts?

Just because a filed lawsuit is tossed out or settled, does not mean that millions of dollars have been spent defending against the original suit.

And I have researched it many American companies have paid out millions and millions of dollars. Every dollar spent to defend and pay for a lawsuit, is one less dollar to spend on expansion of company and jobs.

A lot of the answers prove my point...the majority of Americans have no idea on how to create a long lasting viable economy with opportunites for all. But we will all find out soon how important it really is.

Answer 1

i think some of it is greed. some is the judicial system allows these silly things to go to court and to win (i.e. spilling hot coffee on yourself because you were dumb enough to put it between your legs. some how that's the restaurants fault???) i think some things are necessary to take to a law suit (i.e. my friends father died in a routine back surgery where the doctor allowed the intern to do the procedure and they had no back up blood and the intern cut an artery and that was at a big name hospital) so i think some of it is a way to get quick cash especially when people see other people getting away with suing over things that are so ridiculous and not only suing but winning! so i think it's a combination of things. they also aren't looking at how it affects everyone in the longterm. if you sue car insurance companies over every minor incident then everyone is going to have to pay more for car insurance not just the person at fault for the accident. the insurance companies have to pay for that extra stuff somehow. same with doctors they have to be on high alert at all times because people want to sue over anything and their rates are sky high when we go to see them because they have to carry malpractice insurance which is also sky high. but then everyone wants to complain about the cost of health care. well stop suing over every little incident and we won't have to pay so freakin much. only sue if it really is necessary.

Answer 2

I think you are right about the fact we sue but wrong on who we sue. Lawyers do not work for free so will not sue when they kow their is no money to be had. So seldom do we sue our neigbors unless it is small claims court cuz a tree limb of thiers fell on your car or something. We do however sue peoples insurance compaines all the time. I pay thousands of dollars every year on home, car, health, dental & such insurance, yet have NEVER made a claim against it. Since I do not own an insurance company nor stock in one, I say YOU GO GREEDY AMERICANS!! Sue them for all you can get! It does not matter how stupid the reason just get you some. Is it making sense yet? While I hate the fact that somebody is suing McDonalds becuz their hot coffee was hot. I hate they fact that All State makes billions of dollars each year for nothing even more. You need to see things how they really are. These companies that get sued still make millions, the insurance companies still make millions. They LIE to you and say that is why rate hikes & such so you take their side of the story. They do this of their own greed cuz the billions of dollars they make is not enough, they dont want to be sued either.

KEEP UP THE LAWSUITS AMERICAN PEOPLE & LET FREEDOM REIN!!!!

Answer 3

First of all, your use of the term frivolous is applied incorrectly. Frivolous implies that a suit as no merit. Frivolous lawsuits get thrownout and the attorney and plaintiff who file a law suit can be sued in return for filing the suit and attorneys can get in trouble with state bar associations for firing them. If a case actually proceeds along or even makes it to court, then it is not frivolous. You may not agree or you may think it is ridiculous, but never the less, it has some sort of merit to not get thrown out.

People resort to lawsuits to try and correct a wrong. A lot of people have the idea that they can get millions for minor things, but such is not the case.

Part of the problem is the media portrays trial lawyers as greedy, bad, and sometimes immoral people, when the truth is that most trial lawyers are the most upstanding fine people you will ever meet. People are quick to talk bad about trial lawyers, but as soon as something bad happens to us, they are the first ones we go see.

Answer 4

I think this is a misreading of the American law system and the media over-sensationalizing cases when in fact they are perfectly normal. The McDonald's "spilled coffee" case was one such case where the reporters failed to let the facts get in the way of a perfectly good story.
I'd also like to see where you think Americans are so litigious. Do you have any statistics about how many lawsuits are filed in this country? And of those lawsuits, how many are either settled or tossed out completely? You can file any lawsuit you wish, but if the judge tosses it out, your sorry out of luck.

Answer 5

It's the American way, like cheating on taxes.