The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1906-03-23

cry street car she entered, while man
who had been completely paryalyzed
and manned for life by railroad accd-
ent and who received a very handsome
sum of damages because ot his total in
capacity for any further work, was
found to have used the money for the
opening up of a saloon in tough district
of the town, where he officiated not only
as dispenser of drinks, but as "bonncer.'
finding it an easy task to handle three
or four ''toughs" at the same time.
We will not, however. recall all the in
cidents told by Pearson's. 1t made
perfect case, however, and showed to
what heights the damage suit industry
had risen. It's headquarters has been
Chicago, where, as Tacitus says Of Rome,
everything vile finds it's way. The in
dustry had so grown there as to actually
threaten the bankruptcy of the city
There had piled up cases OF damages
amounting to millions OF dollars, large
portion of them resulting from the dis
turbed condition of affairs which existed
during the great teamsters' strike; and
as in cases of this kind, the city could
be held held for damages. because of its
failure to provide protection for peace
full citizens, it looks as though Chicago
might be swamped In the payments of
the verdcts for damages.
But while Chicago is entitled TO the
discovery of this new way of making a
| living. aud while it was and always will
| be facile princepts in such matters, in
such matters. it il not the only town o I
Grating damage suit factories or boast
| ing of an able corps of ''ambulance
| chasers." The industry only recently
| esta bished here has made great head
way, ESPECIALLY this fall. Between Oct.
l and Nov. J. /, period of forty-one days,
or little less than six weeks, forty dam
| age suits had been filed before our sew
eral courts, aggregating the handsome
ordinary have been considered dull
one for litigation, because most OF this
| time we were fighting the yellaw fever
and had not sufficient time to give atten-
ing the eleven days of November up to
| Saturday the claims for damages nearly
euualed those for the entire month OF
October. If we take the November rec
ord as all average Of the business we are
going to do, the year total will! reach
| S4 500, 900 asked for in damages; if we
take the enGire six weeks since the
courts opened, the total will be $4,000,
900. This would be big sum to pay in
damages annually and a great burden to
many corporations. There is no reason
to doubt that lee amount demanded will
increase from year to year until our
courts are seriously congested with dam
age suit litigation.
There are two sides to the case. Many
of our corporations, especially many OF
our railroads, are too careless with hum
an life and limb, and are responsible
for hundreds of accidents that could and
should be prevented. A comparison
with the records of killed and wounded
|, by railroad accidents in other countries
leaves no donbt on this point. 1t is bad
policy for the railroads, for it creates a
prejudice against them, manifested in
the tendency of juries to render heavy
verdicts against them whenever this is
possible; and it is to a certain extent re-
spnnsibie for the flood of damage suits
pouring into our csurts.
On the other hand, however, the ex
cess of these suits is doing equally great
harm. 1t is congesting our courts, it is
confusing just and unjust claims. and it
is forcing the corporations into the pos
tion of fighting every claim against
them, no matter whether good or bad;
and fianally, as Pearson's points out, it
is encouraging frivoloua litlga o n,
fraud, perjury and dishonest dealings.
Experience has shown that about one
out ten of thees suits has some real fonn-
patton, aud the victim is entitled to
damages. His chances are grea
handicapped by the fact that SO large a
propotion of the others are frivolous.
Most of them are brought in the hope
that they will bring about a comprom-
Use, or at least pay the lee of the lawyers.
Railroads and other corporations recog-
nize that the mere institution of such
suits are injurious to them, and they are
frequently willing to buy them off, but
such compromises, instead of doing any