That isn’t meant to be a sarcastic title, you really do have to love the American legal system and the ability of anyone (including non-citizens it seems) to get justice. What you have to hate, however, are the money grubbing scoundrels who take advantage of it.
First it was the idiot who spilled hot coffee on his own lap and decided to sue McDonald’s over it. Now it’s the family of a Tongan Prince and Princess that were killed in an accident on a San Francisco area freeway. The royalty were in the Explorer pictured when it rolled over after the driver tried to avoid the speeding car of Edith Delgado. Delgado, a dumb-ass in every sense, was driving her late 90’s Mustang recklessly and witnesses say she was racing another vehicle. She cut across a lane and side swiped the Explorer carrying the royal family from the small island nation. The driver of the Explorer, also killed, presumably turned the wheel hard and the SUV flipped.
Delgado, a 19 year old high-school grad, is charged with vehicular manslaughter and clearly has a bleak future. She has admitted some fault in the accident, and there seem to be plenty of witnesses willing to come forward to testify against her.
However, 19 year old high-school students don’t have deep pockets. So who do the attorneys go after next? Yup, Ford. The lawyers for the Tongan royalty have filed a suit, on behalf of the son and daughter of the prince and princess, alleging Ford was negligent in selling the Explorer because they knew of its roll over tendency.
This is a tragic accident, and our condolences to the family and nation of Tonga, but this lawsuit is garbage. The US needs some serious legal system reform (learn about and support Tort Reform). You should not be able to sue a company just because their product was happens to be involved in an accident, and the real guilty party doesn’t have any money. Secondly, let’s at least agree that you need be a US citizen before you are allowed to even file an idiotic suit like this.
The full story in the SF Examiner.
If that happened in Los Angeles, the LAPD would have shot Delgado just out of general principles, and if the driver of the SUV were still alive they would either shoot or arrest him for not having his vehicle under control.
Then the Prince could sue the manufacturer of the police pistol. The Glock Company because they knew that twenty bullets leaving a barrel in less than one second had the ability to harm someone.
By Squido W Cash. May 5th, 2008 at 12:07 amThe police should probably be limited to a 30 round clip.
Ok I am driving a Tall Vechile and in a lot of places if I just fall off the shoulder of the Road this Motor home would flip over in the Ditch. Same as the 96 Ford Bronco I had with 35’s It is all in the Driver.. I have seen many othe flipped Trucks and Cars. by the other Brands.. Get a low slung Sports cars and MAYBE ! it will not flip.
By VictourB. June 20th, 2007 at 8:03 amNo one should be barred from filing a lawsuit simply because of their lack of citizenship. That is absurd. If we do not allow foreigners the right to sue, then no US citizen will be allowed to sue in foreign countries.
The problem is not the citizenship of those suing, but the lawsuits and the lawyers filing them. That and perhaps our licensing laws that have made driving almost a right instead of a privilige.
Let’s face it, SUVs are not as stable in evasive manuevers as cars. Anyone who makes an instinctive jerk of the steering wheel in a vehicle with a high center of gravity is asking for trouble.
Let’s put the blame on the real culprit - a government that hands out licenses for lethal weapons with only the most basic test.
By Bruce. June 14th, 2007 at 3:18 pmyou know what they say: When in Rome… if some Tongans want to set up and act like Americans then who can blame them. Americans enact a ton of laws, but no one ever follows them. it’s a free-for-all so they might as well try and get what they can while the getting is good. Ford probably won’t last too many years anyway with or without this lawsuit.
By Ron. June 11th, 2007 at 4:24 pmThis was a ‘politically motivated” case from the begining. The deaths were a tragedy, “if” they resulted from misuse of freeways as a personal race track, she should face the full weight of her mistake. However, that has yet to be proven in a court. What we do know is the driver over-reacted, causing the resultant crash.
It wasn’t a fault in the design of the vehicle, by design “off-road” vehicles have high road clearance. If anything, this case as many other is one of misapplication. People overlook the compromises of a particular design without regard to consequeces or their own driving ablities.
Do we now need to have a test, certification before you are allowed to purchase an SUV? Has it come to this point where stupidity is a shared problem rather than a personal issue that can be addressed by education and/or personal responsiblity.
By beoweolf. June 7th, 2007 at 1:05 pmPawning off the blame, yup, too typical. Heaven forbid someone can be held accountable for their actions. Like blaming Mc Donalds for getting fat. Ya, they force you in there 5 times a day, sue them. Now this!
By 64GALAXIE514. June 7th, 2007 at 11:43 amThere seems to be a part of Tongan pesent history overlooked. A few years back, a Russian businessman went to the royal court of Tonga, and convinced the king to trust him with $200,000,000. It seems that this person now has ties to the Russian mafiya. With this in mind, and California’s paid for cameras on Highway 101, its a wee bit odd for a minor Hispanic female just out of high school to touch the front wheel of of all thing a car that is known to flip. However, the wealthiest county in America [an annual spending budget of $1.5 billion] it does not produce on photo of the fleeing vehicle, and what about magnetic levitational devices that can control planes, trains and automobiles. Delgado’s car seems to fall into that catagor, since they would or could be manipulated as late as 1992!
By Albert B. Franklin. June 7th, 2007 at 8:25 amEveryone’s looking for a buck…
By 19mach69. June 7th, 2007 at 4:16 amI agree whole heartedly
By mustang427_82. June 6th, 2007 at 8:12 pm