The Carrera GT Saga Continues

[FORDGT001]

Here is the Update to the Crash.
http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/jun2006/bw20060608_466074.htm

 

[Fords4life351]

yet another frivolous lawsuit for the most part. Trying Being linient I can agree with a couple of the charges such as a possible engineered flaw in the Porche, or perhaps the trackwall being unsafely pushed out further out, and even then the latter is a tossup. Its unfortunate that the Driver and passenger lost their lives, but people should be, and I really think ARE aware of the dangers associated with a high horsepower sports car, they merely turn away from them though and "hope" for the best. Its ridiculous that that same attorney won the "its too fast to handle" case, whats next? the car was too underpowered to be able to get out of the way from a fast coming car from behind in time? :bored

 

[californiacuda]

Under a legal system that we find ourselves,where all one has to do it to find an attorney to take a case on a contigency basis, there is no downside to filing a lawsuit against anybody for anything.

We need to do a couple of things to help this silly and sad situation:

1. If we had a loser pays system, 99% of these lawsuits would not be filed.

2. Get rid of the 9th district court of appeals. Many of the knuckleheads keep appealing verdicts until they get to the 9th district, hoping for the "right" decision.

 

[B O N Y]

I have been following this incident since day one. It is very sad, lawsuits like this one can effect all of us. Remember the last time the plantif lawyer sued Porsche they stopped the importation of the 930 for several years.

 

[Jason Watt]

"She is represented by Craig McClellan, a very successful San Diego-area personal injury attorney who made a name for himself in the '80s when he represented a plaintiff who successfully sued Porsche on the theory that their 911 Turbo was too difficult a car to handle to be sold to inexperienced drivers"


No wonder our Ford GT's are made so they handle with massive understeer on the track... Why don't anybody make lawsuits against the motorcycle manufactores?? I mean, talk about death machines...

 

[Neilda]

Unfortunately we live in such a litigious society, the consequence of which, if taken to a logical conclusion, is that human beings will be considered by government to be incapable of looking after themselves - every coffee cup will be marked 'contents may be hot', swimming pools with 'may contain liquid' etc.

 

[B O N Y]

Neil - 1 of,
You want issues in your life, just get yourself a company with a few hundred employees... then the fun and challenges will begin... :frown You have your unions but we have our legal system that can take all the pleasure, satisfaction and profit out of owning a business :confused

 

[Jason Watt]

I bet...
The only imployee I have - is myself..-)

 

[Neilda]

Bony, surprisingly we have difficulties over here with employment legislation too. I recently fired a guy who'd been with us 16 weeks only to be sued on the basis that we'd terminated him because of his 'sexual orientation'. Unfortunately employment tribunals tend to penalise employers and if you have employees of a minority status (gay, pregnant etc) you're just not going to win.

Curiously it creates prejudice - which is an unintended consequence of the law as it means that, generally, employers don't employ minority status individuals because of the risk of litigation..... A difficult circle.

 

[B O N Y]

Bony, surprisingly we have difficulties over here with employment legislation too. I recently fired a guy who'd been with us 16 weeks only to be sued on the basis that we'd terminated him because of his 'sexual orientation'. Unfortunately employment tribunals tend to penalise employers and if you have employees of a minority status (gay, pregnant etc) you're just not going to win.

Curiously it creates prejudice - which is an unintended consequence of the law as it means that, generally, employers don't employ minority status individuals because of the risk of litigation..... A difficult circle.

I would love to be candid with you, but sadly can't post my thoughts on a forum. In my business we have several cases with three and four generations working for us. We take care of our people, but I can also bore you with one nightmare tale after another. The incentive to start a new venture with employee has the to be very strong, or it is simply not worth the exercise. :confused

 

[Fords4life351]

Under a legal system that we find ourselves,where all one has to do it to find an attorney to take a case on a contigency basis, there is no downside to filing a lawsuit against anybody for anything.

We need to do a couple of things to help this silly and sad situation:

1. If we had a loser pays system, 99% of these lawsuits would not be filed.
2. Get rid of the 9th district court of appeals. Many of the knuckleheads keep appealing verdicts until they get to the 9th district, hoping for the "right" decision.

I've pondered this as the solution to our problems in today's day and age, but I cant help to think about those few cases when in fact the plaintiff is truly in the right yet their case looses because they go against a huge corporation or they get an average attorney. Add on top of that paying for the costs and it becomes a burden for someone in the right. I suppose you could just attribute that to the theory that nothing works 100% as intended.

 

[dbk]

One of the scarier things about this situation to me is how some people I've seen on car forums are promoting mandatory "hi perf" licenses for cars like this. Not that it will ever happen anyways, but it's just scary to think people are that terrified of personal responsibility that they need to be kept safe from themselves. Even if you do learn how to push a car at it's limits, the only appropriate forum for that is a racetrack anyways, in which case you know the risks going in.

Never drive outside your own capabilities, and always know the car is capable of going to a place that 99% of us could never take it. Respect it.

 

[B O N Y]

What I have heard and agree with is the 'super license'. I was at Road Atlanta when a doctor who had a turbo Indy car's turbo spool up and he drove right over the top of another car. Is it ok to risk everyone else's life just because you can? This doctor just bought the car, his plan was to run it two to three times a year.

I was at Elkhart Lake last year for the Brian Redman Historics, when the Group 6 false start occured and millions of dollars of cars got smashed. Today these cars are all running modern engines and are quicker than when they actually were racing. Historics are supposed to be mostly 8/10th exhibitions.

I don't feel that if he get trained at Skip Barber, wind up with a SCCA regional license and have the bucks you should be allowed to drive an 8 litre Can Am car until you proved your competence...

Just my 2 cents. Guess I am getting old, and realize how long it takes for the bones to mend and the wounds to heal...

 

[dbk]

As long as we're talking straight race cars Bony :wink

 

[B O N Y]

yeah, track only, not on the street...

on the street, if you got the bucks go for...

Old guys like me go to bed at 10pm, so I hope I am safe :biggrin :rofl :biggrin

 

[Fords4life351]

What I have heard and agree with is the 'super license'. I was at Road Atlanta when a doctor who had a turbo Indy car's turbo spool up and he drove right over the top of another car. Is it ok to risk everyone else's life just because you can? This doctor just bought the car, his plan was to run it two to three times a year.

I was at Elkhart Lake last year for the Brian Redman Historics, when the Group 6 false start occured and millions of dollars of cars got smashed. Today these cars are all running modern engines and are quicker than when they actually were racing. Historics are supposed to be mostly 8/10th exhibitions.

I don't feel that if he get trained at Skip Barber, wind up with a SCCA regional license and have the bucks you should be allowed to drive an 8 litre Can Am car until you proved your competence...

Just my 2 cents. Guess I am getting old, and realize how long it takes for the bones to mend and the wounds to heal...

It happens even to the "professionals", Its a part of racing, if you want to be safe from being involved in a racing automobile accident stay home and watch from a TV :biggrin

 

[B O N Y]

It happens even to the "professionals", Its a part of racing, if you want to be safe from being involved in a racing automobile accident stay home and watch from a TV :biggrin

:biggrin Just got done hosting Mario Andretti for a fun - raiser. He gave a talk about his grandson and this year's Indy.... quote "there is always tomorrow, you can't race from a hospital bed" unquote,....


Sure there are risks, but one trys to minamize them, at least that is my perspective :biggrin

Sometime it takes bigger balls to stay on the porch.... than run with the socalled big dogs :biggrin