Misuse a Product and Make Millions

Anything you buy nowadays is filled with all kinds of ridiculous warnings, thanks in large part to product liability suits in which people have used products in a manner never intended and have managed to hurt themselves. Here's the latest attempt an unearned riches (from Fox News):

The relatives of seven Mexicans and Hondurans who suffocated inside a rented trailer after being smuggled into the United States are now suing the trailer's maker, Great Dane Trailers, claiming that it failed to warn of "the dangers of transporting individuals inside the trailer." Moreover, their complaint says, the trailer was a "refrigerator trailer" with no ventilation, and "was designed to only open from the outside, when at a complete stop."

The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court in Victoria, Texas, also targets the truck driver -- convicted several months ago of transporting illegal aliens -- and the company that leased him the truck. All in all, the victims' relatives are seeking millions of dollars in damages.

I doubt if this case will go very far, but the fact that some ambulance chasing lawyer thinks he has a chance, indicates the sad state of tort law in this country. This is a classic case where a "loser pays" system such as you have in the UK would be beneficial. Then if some idiot wants to sue, he does so knowing full well that if he loses he will pay all the costs, including those of the defendant.