SERIOUS QUESTION ... WHEN SHOULD I SUE?
You may sue anyone for anything. (very few exceptions)
First some questions you might want to ask yourself.
- What are my losses?
- How much will the remedy cost me? (attorneys fees, filing fees, attorneys costs, court costs, lost work time, lost "play" time, gasoline, phone calls etc.)
- How much will the remedy pay me?
- What will my net be?
- Is it worth it?
AND NOW A LITTLE LEVITY
A bus carrying five passengers was hit by a car in St. Louis, but by the time police arrived on the scene, fourteen pedestrians had boarded the bus and had begun to complain of whiplash injuries and back pain ... it sure makes you wonder about our legal system ... Did you know that 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name?
Now I'm not starting "lawyer jokes" ... but it seems honest attorneys were a rare breed going back many generations (sorry to say) ... There's this Sir John Strange, in the 18th century, a popular attorney ... and upon his demise, a decision had to be made as to what to put on his tombstone ... the suggestion was: "Here lies an honest lawyer, that is Strange" ... of course, this line forms no part of the real inscription in Leyton churchyard, Essex, where Sir John died, at the age of 58, in 1754.
A pipe bursts in a lawyer's house, so he calls a plumber. So the plumber arrives, unpackes his tools, does mysterious plumber-type things for a while, and hands the lawyer a bill for $600. The lawyer exclaims, "This is ridiculous! I don't even make that much as a lawyer." The plumber replies sympathetically, "Neither did I when I was a lawyer."
A corporate executive received a monthly bill from the law firm that was handling a big case for his company. It included hourly billing for conferences, research, phone calls, fax, photocopying, and everything but lunch hours. Unhappy as he was, the executive knew that the company would have to pay for each of these services. Then he noticed one item buried in the middle of the list: "For crossing the street to talk to you, then discovering it wasn't you at all -- $125" ... believe it or not.
Finally, remember the "Nine Points of the Law" ... where we are told that success in a law-suit requires (1) a good deal of money; (2) a good deal of patience; (3) a good cause; (4) a good attorney; (5) a good counsel; (6) good witnesses; (7) a good jury; (8) a good judge; and (9) good luck ... I suppose good "mazel" never hurts anyplace.
And if you are looking to add to our litiginous society, how's this for a complaint?
"What you did was done intentionally, maliciously, and or with reckless disregard for the natural and probable consequences of your acts. It was also done without lawful justification and was designed to and did cause specific and serious bodily, mental, and emotional harm, pain, and suffering, in violation of my constitutional rights.
"As a result, I was caused to sustain mental and emotional distress, mental anguish, shock, emotional disturbance, and psychic trauma, as well as damage and injury to my reputation, character, and earning power."