Day By Day© by Chris Muir.Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Why in the world are people so sue-happy these days? Shayla Stewart was a diagnosed manic-depressive and schizophrenic, who purchased her medications at Wal-Mart near her home. She went to a different Wal-Mart and purchased a shotgun, which she used to kill herself. Her mother is suing Wal-Mart.
The store did the required background check, and she filled out the forms, stating she had no mental disability. Mom seems to think they should have known she was lying, how I have no idea. Texas law says pharmacy records are confidential, as were her mental health records.
This is not new. I heard a case last week where a driver's accelerator got stuck in the local Wal-Mart parking lot, and the car hit and killed a child riding those little rides in front of the store. The parents sued Ford and Wal-Mart.
I don't think I'll ever understand why people think they should get a big payoff when something tragic happens. I can understand legitimate cases, such as a legitimate malpractice suit, but there's got to be some personal responsibility in there somewhere. When I went to the doctor in 1968 and he diagnosed roto-scoliosis, I remember asking him if there was a brace that would help. He said no. Should I have sued him for being wrong? A brace specifically for scoliosis had been available for about 10 years at that time. The answer is NO. Oh, I'm sure we could have convinced a jury that poor widdle me would spend the rest of her life crippled. They probably would have forked over a bundle. But it would have been wrong. The brace would not have cured me; it would only have slowed the progression. But to some people, that doesn't matter.
People need to take responsibility for their own actions. Shayla's mother has to stop trying to blame other people; the fault lies with her daughter. Suing Wal-Mart won't bring her back.
The store did the required background check, and she filled out the forms, stating she had no mental disability. Mom seems to think they should have known she was lying, how I have no idea. Texas law says pharmacy records are confidential, as were her mental health records.
This is not new. I heard a case last week where a driver's accelerator got stuck in the local Wal-Mart parking lot, and the car hit and killed a child riding those little rides in front of the store. The parents sued Ford and Wal-Mart.
I don't think I'll ever understand why people think they should get a big payoff when something tragic happens. I can understand legitimate cases, such as a legitimate malpractice suit, but there's got to be some personal responsibility in there somewhere. When I went to the doctor in 1968 and he diagnosed roto-scoliosis, I remember asking him if there was a brace that would help. He said no. Should I have sued him for being wrong? A brace specifically for scoliosis had been available for about 10 years at that time. The answer is NO. Oh, I'm sure we could have convinced a jury that poor widdle me would spend the rest of her life crippled. They probably would have forked over a bundle. But it would have been wrong. The brace would not have cured me; it would only have slowed the progression. But to some people, that doesn't matter.
People need to take responsibility for their own actions. Shayla's mother has to stop trying to blame other people; the fault lies with her daughter. Suing Wal-Mart won't bring her back.
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