Comments on: Update: “Quebec passengers sue TB-infected U.S. lawyer”

By: Jose Castillo

Jose Castillo — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:30:48 +0000

We are to be happy…. A lawyer has been sued by his peers and it is going to get bloody!! I am a physician and can tell you that MDR or XDR TB is no fun. This should send a message…. Being a lawyer does not make you immune to other people’s greed!!

By: Deoxy

Deoxy — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:05:15 +0000

Michael,

if you spent, say, $10,000 on a fabulous vacation, which was then entirely ruined because you spent all the time in quarantine, and you used vacation time to go (which should be reimbursed), then damages can pretty high very quickly. By the time you include legal fees (the lion’s share of the money), $100K is darned easy to hit.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:34:15 +0000

Well, if there was actual inconvenience, that’s different, maybe. But I don’t think very many things are inconvenient enough to be worth $100K. Maybe $100.

By: thecaptain

thecaptain — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:29:03 +0000

There has been additional information disseminated by the local media. It seems that the people vacationing in Montreal WERE flagged as potential carriers and had to follow certain procedures that hampered their vacation plans quite a bit (I’m not certain but I think they may have been near quarantined for a bit of time) and it is on that basis they are suing, not only because of the potential risk of infection.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:02:44 +0000

Poetic justice at the very least.

By: Supremacy Claus

Supremacy Claus — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 16:51:05 +0000

As to Mitchell’s question,

Yes.

I would like to see a class declared against this TB tort lawyer tortfeasor, and his tortfeasing law firm too, if the elements of respondit superior apply.

By: Yoda

Yoda — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:45:24 +0000

I’d say that they’ve got a bit of a case considering how he knowingly exposed people to the risk.

If we go by the idea of what a “reasonable” person would do, he’s pretty much toast considering the knee-jerk reaction that certain words like TB have.

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:31:14 +0000

While I wasn’t on the same plane as Speaker, there is a high probability that I crossed him in the hall of the airport while waiting for my flight due around the same time. Can I sue him?

By: Supremacy Claus

Supremacy Claus — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 23:49:59 +0000

The adjoining passengers have been targeted by their government, presumably, for being potential carriers, according the article.

They suffered an increase risk of harm. I love it the defendant is a tort lawyer who will understand this nonsense doctrine.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:49:45 +0000

I'm always amazed at how sincere Andrew Speaker sounds. He tells the Associated Press, according to this video that he was tricked into being quarantined, that he would have come willingly if they told him there was a problem. - Michael, for the US Desk at TheNewsRoom.com