When Tort Reform Hits Close to Home

Southern California burns. Who is responsible? In one case, a hunter. In lots of others that aren't publicized, illegal aliens, but it's OK, they are free to start fires and otherwise wreck the country, but I digress. However, to hundreds of other gamblers....er plaintiffs it is the local utility company who is to blame, San Diego Gas and Electric.

Let's see, this is the company that amazingly provides electricity and gas to millions in San Diego County. They say SDGE is a little pricey, but considering what they do, I'll take it. Well, someone got it in their head to sue SDGE for sparking lines, that MAY have contributed to one of several fires that started in the county. Seems that high winds blow down power lines no matter how well they are maintained. I even spot a little truck every month that comes around where I live (out in the sticks) and looks at every telephone pole and tags it as inspected. They even clean around it and clear away trees and obtructions. If a company does all that and makes a good faith effort to keep its lines safe, then any "blow down" resulting in fire is an "act of God" right? Wrong. It is a lottery.

We have reached a point where the concept of a "reasonable man"; that is, a person or company that took reasonable care in conducting his life or business and wasn't grossly negligent was not responsible for accidents. Somewhere in the last few decades, the legal system decided that every accident has a cause for which someone (Does 1 - 100) is liable. This concept has proven to be the gum in the engine of the economy. So much damn money is sucked out of the economy that serves only to reward those that have no reasonable expectation of enrichment. Justice is thrown out the window and the defendents usually pay up whether they are culpable or not.

In the SDGE case, the prospect of mega legal settlements in wildfire cases has caused them to propose an emergency shutoff plan. Under the plan, when there are certain conditions met, the utility will shut off power. Well I am one of those lucky 150,000 or so that will have his power cut off when the fire danger is highest....all because of lawsuit intimidation. I will be rendered helpless at the most dangerous time for my home. I will have no power for up to 72 hours, I will not have electricity for lighting and refrigeration. Most importantly I will have no power for my well or my electric fire fighting pumps. To protect my home will require thousands of dollars of investment in non-grid power sources to fight fire and provide basic services.

If you are still following this, some stinking attorneys and their all too willing clients, in search of "legal lotto" are going to cost me thousands to simply protect my home by cowing SDGE into submission. I plan on asking SDGE to provide me with a diesel or propane whole-house generator and a gas or diesel powered fire fighting pump. Surely they will find this cheaper than my lawsuit if I get burned out by a wildfire and my power is gone....as a precaution.

It's all baloney and in various shapes and forms this little money dance is taking place all through the economy every day. Legal intimidation costs every man woman and child a hefty price for all his and her purchases every year. If the populace would smarten up a little, perhaps this would catch fire, no pun intended, and we could have meaningful tort and lawsuit reform instead of paying 200 percent extra for a ladder or extension cord.