Sarah Palin Reassures Rich Folks About Alaska's Tort Liability, Brags About Stiffing Victims

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Sarah Palin Reassures Rich Folks About Alaska's Tort Liability, Brags About Stiffing Victims

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/sarah-palin-reassures-rich-folks-about-alas

By karoli Saturday Jun 05, 2010 3:00pm



Well, here's a little treasure (PDF) from the Pacific Research Institute (aka right wing hatchery of the west). Sarah Palin has written the foreward for their "Tort Liability Index", where she brags about how "reformed" Alaska's tort system is.

Alaska has the second-lowest monetary tort payouts of any state, controlling for the size of each state’s economy. Our tort costs are particularly low for businesses—another reason for entrepreneurs to locate here. We also have some of the lowest medical liability costs in the country. We appreciate doctors in Alaska and welcome them with open arms, not abusive lawsuits.

Imagine that. If the Deepwater Horizon were to have sunk off the coast of Alaska after destroying all the wildlife in the area, they could've gotten off EASY. Because Sarah Palin was all about watchin' out for the doctor and entrepreneur.

I wonder if I could sue for injuries suffered from slamming my head on the desk repeatedly.

Given these sweeping benefits, all states would do well to follow Alaska’s example and enact legal reforms that eliminate lawsuit abuse. The state motto, after all, is “North to the Future.”

It would be irresponsible of me to simply rant about the idiocy of Sarah Palin writing any kind of foreward for any kind of think tank publication without at least looking at this wonderful tort liability climate in Alaska and sharing that information. So I went looking, and what I found is, well...interesting. (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer)

* Life has a price - If you die in Alaska as the result of someone else's negligence, the most you are worth is $400,000 or $8,000 times your life expectancy. Period.
* Grievous injury has a price too - If you are injured or disfigured and the injury/disfigurement is permanent, the maximum you're worth is $1,000,000 or $25,000 x life expectancy.
* Punishment has its limits, too - If it is found that you have been wronged intentionally, punitive damages may be part of the verdict. Those limits range from a $500,000 maximum for an individual injury to $7,000,000 for intentionally inflicted financial injury (e.g. embezzlement, securities fraud, etc). However, if the issue is unlawful employment practices, the cap drops drastically to a maximum of $200,000 for small employers and $500,000 for employers with more than 500 employees.

Now look at those caps, and think about the 11 employees of BP killed on the Deepwater Horizon and ask yourself whether or not tort reform is such a good thing.

Palin's little foreward and endorsement of these practices just cements her as a straight-up Republican. Nothing to see here, folks, move along.

Oh, and if anyone sees evidence of actual thought going on in the "think tanks", let me know, okay?

[marmar]

1. She's a pig......

nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. Yeah, but...

...I honestly cannot recall a public figure in recent history who grew as progressively worse as Palin. She came out of the gates as a pain in the ass, but since the election, she just keeps getting worse and worse and I don't see a limit. I think there are many more stories like this one to come. I find that shocking. Even Dick Cheney hit a level that he hasn't surpassed. Even if they found evidence in the crawlspace under his home, who'd be shocked by that? He's hit his ceiling. Palin just keeps on growing.

[xxqqqzme]

5. She is no pig.

Pigs are smart! There really is no creature for comparison as even the creepiest of creatures serve a purpose. As far as I can see, she serves absolutely no purpose, does not advance civilization and contributes nothing of any substance.


She does seem to recycle trite expressions, hackneyed phrases and disastrous ideas. But there are hundreds of rethugs doing that.

[DBoon]

3. here is their logic

1. Eliminate government regulation designed to restrict hazardous practices by business
2. Make the libertarian argument that the tort system can handle the costs inflicted by victims of hazardous practices much better than regulation
3. Eliminate any effective remedy through the tort system by "tort reform"
4. Profit!

[safeinOhio]

4. Sarah says

Screw the Founding Fathers, the Constitution and the Seventh Amendment.

[roguevalley]

6. she's the worst person I've ever seen at the level she's squatting

at. fuck her.

[charlesg]

7. Despicable whore