7/22/2014

A country gone money mad - $29b fine for lung cancer victim


A Florida court ordered RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company to pay compensation amounting to US$23.6b or S$29b to the wife of a smoker that died of lung cancer. What kind of judgement is that? How did the judges come to decide on such a huge sum of money as compensation? I know, life is priceless. No amount of money is good enough. The next case could be US$1 trillion!
 

I hope such madness would not be copied here. We are the wide eyed fans of the US system and many people would be rubbing their hands in glee, that such a sum of money as compensation can be used as a precedent, as a reference point for awards here. They would say the American courts have awarded S$29b, so awarding $1b or $500m would be peanuts.
 

We are excellent students of following the Americans. Whatever the Americans are doing, we will eagerly embrace with open arms as the right thing to do, the way forward.
 

Ok, lung cancer patients can now hope to strike it rich, by consuming more cigarettes. This is like a new way of striking it very very rich. Would it become the new normal here? This is definitely better than jumping into Bedok Reservoir or from a high rise flat to get their hands on their CPF savings.
 

What do you think?

Kopi Level - Green

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I think more American wives would encourage their husbands to smoke like chimneys. A new way of getting filthy rich.

Anonymous said...

I am not agreeable with many things in America. Law suite is but one of them. The compensation is unrealistic and if I own the tobacco company, I would rather declare myself bankrupt.

b said...

They will definitely appeal and prolonging the case and in the end, the lawyers and legal profession will make lots of money.

Anonymous said...

"A country gone mad - $8 million in damage awards for defaming politicians"

Anonymous said...

Got meh? who got so expensive face?

Anonymous said...

Tang Liang Hong Defamation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Liang_Hong

Anonymous said...

Who is paying LKY's medical bills?

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with that. It is a punitive damage - a punishment on the company. It goes to the victim who is willing to go through the tedious costly court process.
It's better than here. Fines on a company goes to a charity and the government gets the credit of giving out charity.
When SMRT is fined, the money should go equally to all passengers. Or fine them with 1 day free travel. How's that?

Anonymous said...

/// When SMRT is fined, the money should go equally to all passengers. Or fine them with 1 day free travel. How's that? ///

Good idea.
I suppork.

There's plenty of good ideas here in this blog.
But the PAPigs don't seem to understand or listen.
What is the problem?
I know.
Our ideas "could have been better communicated".
Let's vote Opposition to send a clearer message.

Anonymous said...

Workers and Accident victims in Sin are seldom fairly or adequately compensated.
Sin maybe a copycat of the US, but never in terms of free speech and fair compensation.

Anonymous said...

When MRT gets fined, the commuters will have to pay for sure. The heavier the fine, the leser profit they make, the bigger the fare will increase.

On the surface, the Govt is seen to be strict, MRT is seen to be taken to task. At the bottom, it is the commuters who are going to be punished. No two ways about it. Just wise up and do not presume the Government is punishing MRT.