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larry(at)ncproto.com
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 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:57 am Post subject: Why is it such a bad thing - was family of pilot awarded $10 |
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Hi Mark and Bob and All,
Since I was the one that called for "lynching the family" (and yes, this was meant figuratively); I will respond. In my mind we know enough about the situation (barring any extraordinary circumstances - of which none have come to light) to render a decision based on reason. The simple situation is that this pilot crashed his airplane and died as a result. No one else did anything extraordinarily right or wrong. I cannot reasonably see how the EAA or EAA-NW has any culpability in this persons' death at all. Period. In fact, it is darn fortunate that he did what he did at that place at that time; as there was more and better emergency equipment present than at any other time - which meant that he had the best chance of survival possible. So I leave sole responsibility with the pilot. I then skipped directly to the final point; that being my disapproval of the people involved with this lawsuit, and specifically the pilot's family. The lawsuit could not have been instigated nor continued without their acknowledgement and participation. This family, the attorneys, the judges, the jurors, and the politicians that uphold the set of "rules" that allowed this verdict to happen all "need to be lynched" - and I mean this figuratively). I stood up and called "bullshit" and I would be happy to address this family directly with my admonishment. Lest anyone think I am too calloused or whatever; I fully acknowledge the severity and sadness of this accident. The family's grief is completely in order and must be huge and I am sorry for their loss ..... but it does not give them a "by" to take $10.5M out of anyone else's pocket.
Bob, I'm that guy, and if you want to say "shame on me" then consider it done. And I stand by what I said - even though I was a bit crude. I would rather seek principles and apply their decisions than find an easy outcome and justify that. I have watched this discourse and learned a bit. You, Mark, and others, have brought up good points. However no one has given me reason to sway my original premise. I did make a wrong statement in my original post that the cause was known to be the seatbelt around the pax stick. This has been shown to be incorrect and my mistake. It also has no effect on any of my reasoning - the crash was caused by pilot error.
Until I heard about this verdict, I was not aware of any lawsuit; and I only knew about this accident 2nd hand. And here is how I looked at it: A relatively new pilot messed up at the Fly-In; stall/spin type accident near the runway; resulted in aircraft fire; really cool people nearby tried to help; emergency response was there darn quick; pilot died; people lost a husband, dad, friend, and more. And here I make some real assumptions: first that the person we lost was a great guy and the family and friends he left are equally great people (and I just-as-soon maintain this assumption). And the first responders are really great people too and how sad their efforts were in vain. And how cool is it that the Fly-In organizers had emergency procedures and people and equipment in place ?? And ultimately this pilot's accident resulted in his death .... very sad. What I have a hard time understanding is: how did this scenario of a smart guy making a mistake and a lot of good smart people working to help him turn into a lawsuit and then into the verdict that it did ???? If I ever make a mistake I can't think of a better place or around better people than pilots and specifically EAA Members - and that includes everyone on this list.
DO NOT ARCHIVE
Larry E. James
Bellevue, WA
I agree with the S/N suggestion .... even though it took me a while to figure out what he meant !!!
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Bob Collins
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Posts: 470
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:19 am Post subject: Re: Why is it such a bad thing - was family of pilot awarded |
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//However no one has given me reason to sway my original premise.
Nobody's trying -- as near as I can tell -- to sway anyone's opinion.... unless the opinion is "I don't need any facts" to form one.
(g)
do not archive
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Bob Collins
St. Paul, Minn.
Letters from Flyover Country
http://rvnewsletter.blogspot.com/ |
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Bob Collins
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Posts: 470
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
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| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: Why is it such a bad thing - was family of pilot awarded |
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<panamared5>
//You know, this is really pissing me off.
//Based upon the facts we do know, it is hard to justify the $10.5 award. //The people who are defending the award do so by saying we do not //know the facts to determine if the award is excessive.
I'm kinda hoping some of you are reading the plans and instructions in building your RV more closely than you're reading the messages in this thread.
Not one SINGLE person -- not one -- in this debate has defended the award. Not one. Got it?
What some of us are saying is: it's better -- much better -- to know the facts about something before rendering a judgment rather than NOT knowing the facts before rendering a judgement.
But unfortunately, someone changed the name of the thread to "What so Bad -- $10 million judgement" to make it APPEAR that the question was "what's so bad about the $10 million judgment."
They were quoting one of my posts which asked "what's so bad... about waiting to learn the facts in this case?"
A question, by the way, that not a single person answered.
Now, if you think that's screwed up logic, let me ask you this:
Suppose the jury didn't listen to any testimony. Suppose it didn't look at any evidence. Suppose that -- as some people here have suggested -- they showed up with their preconceived notions and just said "give th widow the money."
That would -- I think we can (and have) agree -- is a terrible, terrible way to run the court system.
And it's EXACTLY the technique many of you have used in the court of public opinion.
So what are the facts? Why are they being kept "TOP SECRET". Has our legal system devolved into a third word Fascist system where the government is always right and if you question, or ask for the facts that the decision was based upon, then you are not a "Patriot" and labeled a traitior?!!!
Facts are the difference between knowledge and ignorance. I happen to like 'em.
Bob
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_________________
Bob Collins
St. Paul, Minn.
Letters from Flyover Country
http://rvnewsletter.blogspot.com/ |
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