$109 million personal-injury award in Western Pennsylvania offers insight into tort system
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When Carrie Goretzka's two young girls ran out onto the porch of their suburban home 30 miles east of Pittsburgh in the late afternoon on June 2, 2009, what they saw was a scene of unrelenting horror.
»Read story: $109 million personal-injury award in Western Pennsylvania offers insight into tort system
»Read story: $109 million personal-injury award in Western Pennsylvania offers insight into tort system
Comments (94)
Award is outta line. Excellent lawyering, though. Don't hate the playa.— albrock- $109 M is an atrocious award. Her death was horrible and I am sure there is impact on the children and husband but $109M is abusive. The American legal system is self-destructive with its awards. Let me guess....$100 M would go to the attorneys on both sides?— jonline
- The company lawyers are most likely in house or hired by the hour. Something on the order of a third to a half usually goes to injured party. The real problem is that, generally, corporate entities are usually more concerned about the fictively legal corporate "person" than about the actually REAL human being.
This is a case that points to the continuing stupidity of having electrical lines ABOVE rather than BELOW the ground. I know it would be an expensive proposition to get electrical wiring below the ground, but, that is the corporate chant: PROFITS, NOT PEOPLE!.— BEMiller - The damages were computed wrong. A doctorate in engineering from Yale does not make you an expert in calculating damages. Besides Yale is a second rate engineering school. The jury foreman does not know what he talking about. The financial statements of a company mean nothing. This case will be thrown out at appeal.— chippersql
- How much is too much for an agonizing death of a mother, that happened because of carelessness? These corporate types only feel financial punishment, so punish them as much as possible. Does anyone think these two girls will ever be able erase that horrifying image of their mother on fire? It will haunt them for the rest of their lives.— POF
- The customers of the utility company will be the payers in the end. What's wrong about calling from inside the house anyway, I bet the linemen had told her on the previous occasions how dangerous downed wires are.— longbikez
- I don't think so. The company's prices are regulated. The company was clearly culpable. It was down three times and they, clearly, just kept fixing it the same way each time. If the linemen told her, that might offer more proof that she didn't stumble, but that something happened that she couldn't help. If she was warned, I'm guessing she wouldn't have been reckless. — PotteryPete
- Because the company backed out of a $50 million settlement (plus the repairs to the line), they can't expect a $60-70 mil verdict. The gamble would be worth taking. The poor woman was zapped for 20 minutes and lived 3 days. We would euthanize a dog in this situation. This was a preventable death. A horrific death. By the way, @longbikez- you sound like an a''hole.— iodine
- $5 million for spilling coffee on yourself: this award is in line with that.— STEPHEN1988
- You mean $5mm for refusing to operate your coffee makers at the manufacturer's suggested temperature range, as well as going well beyond the allowed temperature range for the cups used, despite numerous prior burn incidents. Not to mention that the executives decided that it was worth the risk of getting sued because they make so much money on coffee that they can withstand a lawsuit or two. The $5mm was calculated based on one day worth of coffee sales. It was more about handing out punishment for disregarding your customers. That's the only power civil justice system have -- to punish by giving out awards. Would you rather trust the government in regulating businesses? — sunzzy
- @sunzzy - I've looked through every conversion formula I could find. How did you turn money, [$] into units of length like millimeters [mm]?? Have you been spending too much time in the Sunzzy? Your grammar by the way, is F'd up. Spend more time awake in schoolzzy. — bad joe s
- Zap.— zen
- She walked toward the line? Didn't have a back door? Yes, horrible and all that, and the family should get some money, but what a moron. Especially if the line has fallen before. "Oh, this time I'll go wrangle the power line myself!" I believe they have an award for this. I think it's called Darwin.— verve
- It's always tricky to come up with the right words when you're trying to think of something to say to a little child who's crying because her mother's on fire.
Who would have that all would be well with that child if you just took a moment to explain that her mommy was a moron?
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