Nowdays, smokers are suing the tobacco companies because they are getting cancer. However the labels on the backs clearly indicate the risk. Should these lawsuits really be admissable into a court of law?
2006-12-15 07:29:26 · 11 answers · asked by GirlUdontKnow 5 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
As a smoker I say NO. Since the cigarette companies have been forced to admit publicly that smoking is habit forming and a risk to your health anyone who picks up a cigarette has to take responsibility for their own actions. No one stands beside you and insists that you smoke. In fact the non-smoking public is doing their level best to make it damn near illegal to smoke anywhere...
If only they would put the same hard work, money and devotion into the current drug problems, poor public education, and illegal immigration issues!
Our legal system is clogged with meaningless lawsuits from people only looking to make a buck from someone else. Take the parents of a child hit by a car in the street on a bike after dark. They sued the manufacturer of the bike because the warning label didn't say "Don't ride in street after dark." It wasn't enough to warn against riding in the street. Where is the common sense? When do we take responsibility for our own actions? Why don't we teach our children that you can't get something from nothing and there is no honer or pride in just trying to screw someone else?
2006-12-15 07:56:09 · answer #1 · answered by Barbiq 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depends. Where were you, that you became ill from this toxin? Could you have done anything to not contract the illness? These are the kinds of questions you have to ask and answer. In the end, these questions will both make and break any case. If you could have avoided it and were aware of the consequences, then you are liable for recklessly endangering your own life. However, in this, the 21st century, with printed warnings from the previous 30 years, how could you not know? All advertisements for tobacco products were required to carry the warning. The product carries the warning. Heck! C E Coop even showed up on PSA spots to warn us, bothon TV and Radio... Unawareness is a weak arguement.
2016-05-22 21:39:19 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not. When are we going to hold people accountable for their own actions. Even if the cigarettes didn't have the labels, if you don't know they're bad for you by now, then you are an idiot and have no grounds to sue anybody. People CHOOSE to smoke, nobody makes you. The commercials don't make you smoke. Candy cigarettes don't make you smoke. These are all lame excuses made up by the cut throat lawyers to take responsibility and accountability off of the "victim" (yeah right) and put it on someone who has deeper pockets so they can make more money. Its time our judicial system got together and threw out these petty lawsuits and started making people accountable for their own actions.
2006-12-15 07:43:46 · answer #3 · answered by aksteiger 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The real question is: Should the government allow these lawsuits, yet refuse to ban smoking? The government allows billion dollar law suits for damage done to these smokers and yet the government is taxing the hell out of cigarettes and making money off of the people that are suing.
As long as the government says smoking is legal, they have
1.) no business encouraging these billion dollar law suits.
2.) Charging such high taxes for cigarettes. The government is taking advantage of people's legal addictions.
2006-12-15 17:29:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They should not.
Today, all people are looking for is an excuse to sue someone. Suing has become too frivolous it's ridiculous. That's like the idiot who tried to sue McDonald's because they ate so much of it and made them fat!!
People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions, for God's sake!
2006-12-15 07:45:10 · answer #5 · answered by ~MIMI~ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think anyone who started smoking AFTER the warnings were put on should face the fact that they ruined their own health. The tobacco companies didn't force them to smoke.
2006-12-15 07:37:52 · answer #6 · answered by sierra33ok 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not! If you do something you know is going to hurt you, you shouldn't be able to hold anyone else responsible.
I also don't believe taxpayers money should pay for health care of people who smoke. I know someone who is collecting disability and is now on oxygen because she didn't quit smoking when her doctor told her to. She's not stupid... so why should we have to pay for her health care... at least the parts that are a direct result of her choosing to smoke?
2006-12-15 07:41:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, people need to take responsibility for their own choices. If I went to McDonalds every day and developed high cholesterol, should I be able to sue McDonalds? Hell no.
2006-12-15 07:37:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who began smoking after all the warnings should not be allowed to sign legal contracts for themselves.
2006-12-15 07:51:40 · answer #9 · answered by teran_realtor 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nope
2006-12-15 07:37:25 · answer #10 · answered by Mrs_M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋