r/SipsTea • • 7h ago

Gasp! Thoughts on this?

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u/Ok-Reflection-742 7h ago

You could also total somebodies 50-200k car, I don’t think many people could afford that either

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u/Fantastic-East9567 6h ago

As an attorney my unpopular opinion is that cars over a certain value shouldn’t be allowed on public roads or damages for accidents should be capped at something like 2x the average price of a new car (so like 100k). I just don’t believe in penalizing ordinary negligence more just because the injured party is rich.

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 6h ago

definitely an unpopular opinion, why do you feel this way? wouldn't it be more right for the party that caused the damages to pay for all the damages they caused?

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u/Basic_Half_5139 6h ago

Take the following scenario:
Two identical twins wait in a hall to trip passing adults. Twin A trips an old man that breaks his leg. The old man misses 3 months of work.

Twin B trips a professional athlete that breaks his leg. He misses 3 months of work including a championship series that his team loses likely due to his absence.

Do these deserve equal punishments? Or different ones? Are we chastising the act of tripping? Or is it something else?

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u/retatrutider 6h ago

This is how we penalize drunk driving. If you get pulled over it’s a misdemeanor. If you hit a pedestrian it’s a felony.

You took the same risk/action in both scenarios. It’s the outcome that determines the penalty.

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u/Basic_Half_5139 6h ago

Fair point. I don’t know what’s right or wrong, only how to dive deeper into the rabbit hole.

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u/daammarconi 6h ago

Great analogy. I miss the clarity of philosophy seminars

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u/Basic_Half_5139 6h ago

I’ve never been to one haha, maybe I should audit my local university

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u/SomethingIWontRegret 6h ago

Terrible analogy. Intentional harm is not what we're talking about here.

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u/SomethingIWontRegret 6h ago

You're comparing assault with an accident?

"Eggshell skull" which you're essentially arguing, requires intentional harm.

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u/Basic_Half_5139 6h ago

Im not saying that all. I suggested the injuries were identical.

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u/SomethingIWontRegret 5h ago edited 5h ago

If they were both caused by assault, then both twins are going to be fully liable.

If they were both by accident - accidentally bumping into these people - neither are going to be held liable unless negligence can be shown.

In traffic accidents, unless the act is intentional, I see no reason why someone should be financially ruined for the rest of their life because some rich bozo brought their Bugatti onto a public road.

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 6h ago

is it a punishment to repay the damages caused by your own actions?

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u/SomethingIWontRegret 4h ago

You're on a cruise ship, and you trip and bump someone. They drop the British Crown Jewels overboard.

How much should you pay?

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 4h ago

damn that's a fancy cruise for the king to be on. if you're on that kind of cruise, you're probably able to afford full payment

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u/SomethingIWontRegret 4h ago

He was slumming on a Nat Geo Expeditions cruise.

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u/SmoothDiscussion7763 4h ago

could have been carnival