Opinion ID: 1092068
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sound public policy favors retaining parental tort immunity

Text: The majority was persuaded by Burns and the current trend in other jurisdictions. However, the foregoing discussion amply demonstrates that Burns is distinguishable. As for the decisions in other jurisdictions, they are neither controlling nor persuasive. They simply represent the policy judgments of the courts in their respective jurisdictions. As such, they are based on prevalent environmental factors that may or may not be present in Mississippi ( e.g., mandatory liability insurance). Clearly this question is one of public policy and the more logical policy arguments favor retention of the doctrine. They are discussed below. The most persuasive argument against abrogating the doctrine of parental immunity is the devastating effect it would have on family relationships. First and foremost, the presence of potential tort liability would inhibit the nurturing and discipline necessary for a sound family environment. Any parent knows the multitude of services that are provided to children to foster their development and to provide them with educational and recreational opportunities. Not the least of these is the seemingly constant provision of transportation. A cursory list of other services would include cooking, administering first aid and routine medical care, counseling, teaching recreational skills (swimming, sports, etc.), and others too numerous to mention. All of these are discretionary and would be affected by abrogation of the parental tort immunity. This Court should not place a parent in the quandary of having to choose between providing something desirable for the development or recreation of his or her child or cautiously avoiding potential tort liability. Apart from these services, responsible parents also face decisions on how best to advise and guide their children. As discussed above, society as a whole and children as individuals have a huge vested interest in parental guidance. The courts and legislatures have recognized this vital role and this Court should not create disincentives for parents to act in this capacity. Society simply cannot afford for parents to abdicate this function out of caution, fear of a lawsuit, or for any other reason. Secondly, abrogation of the parental tort immunity will adversely affect the harmony of the family. To deny that intrafamily tort suits will promote family discord is ludicrous. While it is true that torts like the assault and battery alleged in the Burns case are more harmful to relationships than lawsuits to redress the concomitant injuries, this is not always true. For it is not only the prosecution of lawsuits that creates discord. The threatened suit and the resumption of family life after the suit (regardless of the outcome) also strain the familial bonds. Children are often contentious by nature and our litigious culture has a tendency to make all members keenly aware of any and all legal recourse available. Is it so farfetched to envision advertisements for toys and cereals on Saturday mornings being replaced by commercials that begin, If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of parental negligence ...? Parents attempting to rear their children responsibly do not deserve the additional obstacle to family harmony created by numbers like 1-800-SUE-MAMA. To suggest that abrogation of the parental tort immunity will not adversely affect families is simply wrong. In addition to the primary effect of contributing to family strife, abrogation will have other harmful consequences. First, it will lead to a tremendous increase in collusive suits. Our legal system functions properly only when the interest of the parties are antagonistic. The majority seemingly recognizes that most suits will be collusive. (In rare cases where the action is truly adversarial, judicial formulation of an obstacle to the suit cannot contribute family harmony or restore the proper relations among the members. (emphasis added)). However, the majority relies on an already overburdened system to cope with this problem. Jurors can only decide a case based on their experiences and the evidence presented to them. They obviously cannot learn of facts that are suppressed or fabricated by agreement of the supposed adversaries. In most collusive suits it is an insurer that will be placed in the unenviable position of refuting the evidence against the parent. This must be accomplished with no knowledge of the facts and little hope of cooperation from the insured. Ironically, the costs insurers incur as a result of collusive suits will be passed along to all families. This will create more problems for parents on budgets and less money to meet the needs of children. A final point on insurance is simply that insurers cannot be forced to underwrite unprofitable risks. Premiums will be raised to cover the increased risk of collusive suits, or policies will either exclude injuries to family members or become unavailable altogether. All of these prospects directly undermine the arguments advanced by the majority. Even in suits where parents vigorously present their case, jurors will be in the difficult position of determining what is objectively reasonable conduct. The diversity of opinion on child-rearing, the vast differences in parental experience, and the individualized needs of different children will all work to make this task virtually impossible. Thus, the threat of tort liability will both discourage socially valuable behavior (parental nurturing and guidance) and will promote harmful behavior (collusive suits). Any decision with these consequences would not be a service to Mississippians. As shown in the preceding discussion, the Burns reasoning is distinguishable from the current case and the sounder public policy arguments weigh in favor of retaining the parental immunity. With that said, all that remains is to mention some of the arguments in favor of abrogation that are incorporated into the majority opinion. First the majority argues that no sound justification exists for the distinction between tort suits and suits based on contract or property law. What must be remembered is that the rule of parental immunity is based on policy considerations and is, therefore, a question of degree. Contract and property causes of action are not only less frequent between family members than tort suits would be should the immunity be destroyed, they are also much less likely to arise as a result of an exercise of parental discretion. Therefore, the normal concerns for effective guidance are not present. Likewise there is a greatly reduced possibility of collusion where the outcome of the suit cannot increase the assets of the family unit. Secondly the majority states that, to hold that a child's pains must be endured for the peace and welfare of the family is something of a mockery. (citing Lee v. Comer, 159 W. Va. 585, 224 S.E.2d 721, 723 (1976). This implies that a child injured by the negligence of a parent is adrift in our current system with no rights at all. With all due respect to the majority, tort law cannot erase physical injuries or soothe human suffering. It can only insure that injured parties are compensated. As parents already have the legal responsibility of providing care for their children, the child is protected and not mocked by the current system. A policy of immunity in no way detracts from the seriousness of the issue of parental neglect or other forms of abuse. The proper remedy for these injuries, however, is eternal vigilance on the part of individuals and government agencies and vigorous enforcement of criminal statutes. A venerable and well reasoned rule of law, supported by precedent and strong family policy arguments, should not be abrogated simply because its popularity is said to have waned in some jurisdictions. This is particularly true when the decline in popularity is due to pressure by a few members of the legal community for the sole purpose of generating more legal fees and at the expense of great harm to traditional family values.