Padre, your note reminds us that there has actually been some social progress in the last 150 or so years. There was a time, of course, when a married woman had no right to bring a lawsuit; her husband had to do it for her. I took a course in college (as an undergraduate) dealing with the history of manufacturers' liability in tort (really fascinating, if you can believe it). The first one discussed was Thomas & Wife vs. Winchester, from the 1800's, wherein Mrs. Thomas was poisoned by a bottle of proprietary medicine she purchased at a shop. She couldn't sue; her husband had to sue for her.