Tuesday 10th July 2001

Oh Belt Up

$9.5 million in damages because woman wore seat belt

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[dubbs]

So if we drive head long into a brick wall and get killed can our families sue the manufacturer because of the brakes not being used correctly? The manufacturer supplies the tools to do the job - it is up to the person using those tools to ensure they are used correctly.

[antonbarri]

[Rant mode ON] Couldn't agree more. As an eight year qualified barrister I'm sick to F*****g death of the scum who peddle the "where there's blame there's a claim" crap and their whining pikey clients. People should take responsibility for their own actions Don't forget, good people, that the reason we're all paying through the nose for our car insurance (and also paying to support the scum who don't bother buying insurance) is because of this new "blame culture" and the parasites who sell these so called "services." [Rant mode off]

[john robson]

Nice on I will stand corrected I thought the whole legal proffesion was behind all those F*&^ing ambulance chasing gits. If adds should be banned those are at the top of my list. In fact in the area I work they seem to be scanning the police channels (can't prove it,YET), they actually turn up at the scene and on occasion before the ambulance. Edited by john robson on Wednesday 11th July 12:59

[Nightmare]

loud applause for the resident Barrister...... I know a couple of lawyers too (not by choise of course ) who also think this is disgusting I would be more than happy to put large sums of cash (if I had them) on the fact they all have police scanners...it really should be banned

[Marshy]

Is Police radio *still* vulnerable to scanning with a cheapo bit of kit from Tandy? I thought Tetra was meant to defeat this: portable mobile radio with encryption between collaborating groups of radios and so on. Or was that too expensive...?

[john robson]

We ain't got the new kit yet but fortunatly most of us take our mobiles out that way the can phone us if its hush hush it beats "can you go back to the office" or "find a phone box and give us the number"

[mel]

quote: most of us take our mobiles out that way the can phone us if its hush hush

Heaven forbid hope you wouldn't do that while driving !!!

[nubbin]

There must be a large bunch of barristers and solicitors happy to do this devil's work - otherwise how could so many claims be processed? Perhaps a tight code of practice by the profession might help. I don't mean to sound rude, when I agree with, and applaud, "antonbarri", but it strikes me that there is very little in the way of self-regulation of the legal profession, and in my few experiences, it seems far more like a licence to print money, rather than an accountable service to the public. I wish I worked in a profession where, win or lose, I still get my fee paid, and the standard of work I do is absolutely unscrutinised, audited, or otherwise open to independent analysis. Edited by nubbin on Thursday 12th July 10:18

[antonbarri]

Me again - I agree with johnrobson that some of the legal profession were all for the "compensation culture." For what it's worth I could see what was coming and got the hell out - I do IT and e-commerce work for banks and airlines now. Got to say that I'm tempted to tell people when I meet them that I'm a tax inspector rather than own up to the truth... ha ha. That said the solicitor side of the profession is getting a real shafting because the no win no fee "factories" employ spotty young ****es in shiny suits, tassled loafers and leather ties to run their cases, and thus have much lower overheads. Basically the solicitors that used to do this kind of work for Legal Aid money are up the creek without a canoe, let alone a paddle. Anyway, thanks for the response, John. Don't think we've met but I assume you're one of the boys in blue. It must really rile you when the ambulance chasers descend. On the scanner point, I think that the digital radio program was supposed to stop this, but it got canned on the basis of costs. I wonder why? Could it possibly be all those f*****g pikeys again, claiming compensation from the police for no good reason other than they can't be arsed to go out and find a job. Well balanced individual, see - chip on both shoulders. Cheers.