- 17 Jan 2023 05:38
#15262319
I was reading a story about a woman who worked as an operator for a drawbridge who made the bridge raise without first checking to make sure there was no one on the bridge, accidentally causing the death of another woman. The woman who was killed was a grandma, 79 years old, and a retired newspaper editor. The victim was riding her bicycle, and when the bridge went up, it caused her to plunge 50 feet landing on a concrete slab.
But here is the part I want to focus on.
The private contractor company that operates the government-owned span, paid the family of the woman who died eight million dollars to settle a lawsuit.
EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS
How much is a life worth?
Consider that the average lifespan for a white female in the U.S. is 81 years.
How much longer was this woman really going to live?
It wasn't like she was rich either, or had a high-paying job providing for a family.
The private company did not even own the bridge. It was owned by the city government.
The drawbridge operator was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 200 hours of community service and 8 years of probation, avoiding prison time.
Why should the company be financially liable for the death, just because they employed the person who accidentally caused the death?
Is it because it's a big company and has deep pockets?
This is just another example of grossly excessive amounts of money being paid out in a lawsuit.
The average lifetime earnings of a news reporter is about $1.5 million, over the span of their entire life and career.
How much exactly is an individual life really worth, if we're trying to put a dollar equivalent on it?
And furthermore, beyond all that, we can also ask whether the family really should get any money (other than perhaps for burial expenses). The family members were not the ones who suffered physical harm. The only woman who was killed is now dead and can't receive any money.
It happened on February 6, 2022 in Palm Beach, a wealthy part of southern Florida. The bridge operator was a black woman, Artissua Lafay Paulk, age 43, and the victim's name was Carol Wright.
Florida drawbridge operator, 43, won't be jailed despite being convicted of manslaughter
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ghter.html
I know most of the Left doesn't seem to care, just another excuse to make a "big evil corporation" pay out money to some of the little people who get lucky, almost like some sort of wealth redistribution scheme, even if it is practically in the form of a lottery payout. The mentality of "Life shouldn't be unfair" (well never mind the person or company who has to pay the money).
The world is a crazy and illogical place.
You can argue that the private company voluntarily paid out the money, but the ones running the company who made the decision were not actually the owners of the company who have to pay the money, and it is also very likely the company only paid the money because they were afraid that they might be forced pay even more money than that, if they did not choose to settle.
But here is the part I want to focus on.
The private contractor company that operates the government-owned span, paid the family of the woman who died eight million dollars to settle a lawsuit.
EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS
How much is a life worth?
Consider that the average lifespan for a white female in the U.S. is 81 years.
How much longer was this woman really going to live?
It wasn't like she was rich either, or had a high-paying job providing for a family.
The private company did not even own the bridge. It was owned by the city government.
The drawbridge operator was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 200 hours of community service and 8 years of probation, avoiding prison time.
Why should the company be financially liable for the death, just because they employed the person who accidentally caused the death?
Is it because it's a big company and has deep pockets?
This is just another example of grossly excessive amounts of money being paid out in a lawsuit.
The average lifetime earnings of a news reporter is about $1.5 million, over the span of their entire life and career.
How much exactly is an individual life really worth, if we're trying to put a dollar equivalent on it?
And furthermore, beyond all that, we can also ask whether the family really should get any money (other than perhaps for burial expenses). The family members were not the ones who suffered physical harm. The only woman who was killed is now dead and can't receive any money.
It happened on February 6, 2022 in Palm Beach, a wealthy part of southern Florida. The bridge operator was a black woman, Artissua Lafay Paulk, age 43, and the victim's name was Carol Wright.
Florida drawbridge operator, 43, won't be jailed despite being convicted of manslaughter
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ghter.html
I know most of the Left doesn't seem to care, just another excuse to make a "big evil corporation" pay out money to some of the little people who get lucky, almost like some sort of wealth redistribution scheme, even if it is practically in the form of a lottery payout. The mentality of "Life shouldn't be unfair" (well never mind the person or company who has to pay the money).
The world is a crazy and illogical place.
You can argue that the private company voluntarily paid out the money, but the ones running the company who made the decision were not actually the owners of the company who have to pay the money, and it is also very likely the company only paid the money because they were afraid that they might be forced pay even more money than that, if they did not choose to settle.
- By Tainari88
- By wat0n
- By RealPolitic