Postby drawscore » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:48 pm
Chris, what you probably have here, is some poor schmuck who got roped in by an ambulance-chasing lawyer, who is looking for a big payday. The movie chain, the producing studio, and the stars of the movie are all "deep pockets," and may settle for about a tenth of the claim, just to make it go away.
What would stop this crap dead in its tracks, is a "loser pays" law. You file a civil lawsuit and you lose, you (and your lawyer, if it is deemed to be a frivolous suit) pay the defendant's legal fees, other expenses associated with the trial, and he is "made whole." (restored to the wealth and position he enjoyed before the lawsuit was filed)
The biggest problem, is that most legislators/politicians are lawyers, and would never pass such a law in any state. But it can be done in some states through "citizens' initiatives," where the citizens gather enough signatures on petitions to put it before the public. Then again, that's been tried before, and the petitions/proposed state constitutional amendments were struck down by judges in state circuit and appellate courts.
Of course, the fact that the circuit and appellate court judges are all lawyers couldn't possibly have anything to do with their decisions. After all, our judges are scrupulously fair and honest, and would NEVER act against the best interests of the people. Yeah, right. Can you say "blatant conflict of interest?"
Drawscore