Date:         Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:17:42 -0800
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon Safety Honda Element
Comments: To: "Burdett, Jean-Pierre" <jp.burdett@spotwave.com>
In-Reply-To:  <E97981B9EF0CC44EAC6EC0653851CC65026A2354@spotsrv2.dpswireless.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

RE: State Responsibility with Regulation
Here in Washington State it was announced on the news yesterday that a
family that was hit by a car crossing a very wide median on I-5 and hitting
them is being awarded $9 million.  Now the kicker is that the State is
paying $2 million of that!!!! Why?  Because the offending vehicle managed to
get through the cable barrier in the median.  The lawyers claimed that the
barrier was insufficient protection.  (The other $7 million is being paid by
the insurance company for the vehicle that crossed over into oncoming
traffic.)
When the hell did it become the responsibility of the citizens (tax payers)
of this State to protect individuals from the negligent actions of another
individual?
Ina addition, the State has announced that they are going to double the
cable barriers along that stretch of I-5 because the single cable barrier
doesn't always stop all vehicles.  I have to assume that the car that ran
into the vehicle would be suing if there had been a solid cement wall in the
same place alleging that they were hurt or killed because the barrier was to
strong!