The Exponent - opinions


04-07-2004	Previous edition: 04-06-2004

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Lawsuit instigators attempt to defer responsibility

America’s justice system has been busy lately, and a mourning family is going to exacerbate the problem. The parents of a high school football player who was killed in an auto accident last November are suing their county for not maintaining the road system in a safe condition.

Steven L. R. Terrell was a student at Mooresville High School, which is southwest of Indianapolis. He drove home from a party with a blood-alcohol level 0.162, which is over twice the legal limit for drivers. He also claimed to be taking the painkiller Oxycontin. He lost control of his car, veered off the road and his car flipped. He was not wearing a seat belt, and he died from his injuries.

The parents are accusing the county of lacking sufficient warning signs and constructing poor roads. While we cannot comment on the validity of these accusations, we believe that this lawsuit skirts the major issue.

When people drink, they are responsible for their actions. These actions should never include driving. There were 337 alcohol-related fatalities in Indiana in 2001. Everyone knows that drunk driving is horrifically irresponsible and absolutely inexcusable. Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving have campaigned heavily the last several years to decrease the frequency of drunk driving. Warnings about drunk driving have become almost as ubiquitous as warnings about having safe sex.

This lawsuit seems like an attempt to rationalize the accident and place the blame on someone other than the driver. If a person gets drunk and falls off the bleachers in Ross-Ade stadium, should he or she be able to sue Purdue? If the bleachers collapsed because of faulty construction, probably yes. Otherwise, it’s the fault of the individual. This lawsuit would set a dangerous precedent of transferring responsibility away from the individual and onto an institution or government entity.

Over the last several years we have witnessed a deluge of personal injury and tort lawyers. While many of them serve honorably to protect citizens from the abuses of authority, there appears to be a trend towards decreasing personal responsibility. Parents can sue coaches for not giving their kid enough playing time. We can sue a store if we slip on ice in front of the door.

At some point in time we have to say that enough is enough. People have to accept some degree of responsibility for their actions and accept that we do not live in a perfect world. When this happens, we can start dismissing lawsuits like this one.

The Editorial Board is: Charise Pettit, Evan Kelsay, Nic Baumann, Jamie Giles, Nate Hall, Matt Poston
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