>crazy verdicts
while the fact of the matter is that there will always be excesses when it comes to jury verdicts (it's a crapshoot), the average award derived from litigation has come down dramatically in recent years. this is, in no small way, a reaction to grossly obscene awards in previous years (see, for example, the McDonalds scalding coffee lawsuit*, a real and well-documented case (as opposed to those cited above)). the pendulum has swung far enough the other way so as to make it difficult to get any kind of meaningful recompense for real damages suffered at the hands of careless or wantonly negligent individuals or businesses.
not that this has put a stop to the never-ending desire on the part of the faineant to get something for nothing, and keep the barratrous (but still at the bar) ambulance chasers well-employed. it's that crapshoot mentality.
I think I'll go out and purchase some lottery tickets now.
*
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm
