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"Random Acts of Vileness" -- February 6, 2005 It’s obvious that the man who said, “It’s better to give than to receive,” never lived in a society as litigious as ours. If so, he would have realized that kindness can subject you to serious legal trouble. Two teenage girls learned this lesson the hard way when they found themselves in court after attempting to surprise their neighbors with homemade cookies. I guess the surprise was on them, huh? One night last July, the girls got the idea to perform a random act of kindness by delivering cookies to their neighbors. Along with the cookies, they left a note reading, “Have a great night. Love, The T and L Club.” One of their neighbors, Wanita Young, lived alone in a rural area. She became understandably frightened when two shadowy figures appeared at her doorstep late at night. In fact, she became so frightened that she spent the night at her sister’s home and had to visit her doctor the next morning with complaints of an upset stomach. Well, you can just imagine her surprise when she returned home the next day to find the cookies. However, no one was more surprised than the girls and their parents when they were served with a lawsuit asking for reimbursement of medical bills and punitive damages. Apparently, in our society, no good deed goes unlitigated. This is was the case even though the parents offered to pay Young’s medical bills. Young refused this offer because … get this … the girls didn’t apologize in person. Do you blame them? After all, Young sued them for delivering cookies the last time. She probably would have called out the National Guard if they had attempted to deliver an apology. Of course, Young isn’t the only villain in this case. She had help from someone who should have known better – the judge. Judge Doug Walker awarded nearly $900 in damages to Young. Judge Walker reasoned that the girls created a dangerous situation by delivering cookies at night in a rural area. He further concluded that their negligence caused Young’s visit to the doctor. Says who? In my view, it’s equally likely that Young’s upset stomach was caused by toe of frog or eye of newt, or whatever it is that witches like her boil in their cauldrons. Besides, there is a bigger principle at work here. This is the principle that says that you don’t sue people for trying to do nice things for you; even if you get a tummy ache. What’s next? Are fathers going to start suing their children for buying them ugly ties that “hurt” their eyes? Or are wives going to start suing their husbands for buying lingerie that, when modeled, makes them both sick? For the sake of my retirement account, I can only hope that the answer is “No.” In any event, one thing is certain. Being nice has become prohibitively expensive. For that reason, my expert legal advice is for you to only think of yourself from now on. Of course, if you’re a man, you won’t have any problem embracing this mindset. Yet, if you’re a woman who is sensitive, caring and loving (i.e., not yet married to the guy you’re currently dating), then cut it out! As the new saying goes, she who is kind will find herself in a legal bind.
RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF MY E-BOOK As I attempt to further syndicate this weekly legal humor column, I thought it might be helpful to provide some comments from the more than 30,000 monthly visitors to this site. With your help, this column could find its way in your local newspaper in the coming months. Also, for those of you who take a moment to help me in this regard, I'll send you a FREE copy of my e-book, 2002: A Lawpsided Year in Review. Thank you in advance. Sean Carter If you enjoyed this article, then you will love Sean Carter's collection of irreverent legal commentaries, 2002: A Lawpsided Year in Review. This hilarious e-book may be purchased for $7.95 by clicking here. Also, to view other recent commentaries, click here. GET THE NEXT LAWPSIDED PIECE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR MAILBOX If you would like to receive Lawpsided in your mailbox each week, subscribe by entering your e-mail address below: |
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