[quote name='iheartmetal']i dont care if they are a corporation or not, this is just stupid, just another example of frivolous lawsuits are allowed to be brought to court. they waste taxpayer money, and the cost will come back to the consumer eventually, dont be suprised to see rental fees go up, just like with healthcare the main industry plagued by these lawsuits. its absolutly ridiculous to think that people should be componsated for not returning a video when its do. this is completly madning, i hope you all realize that this a sign of the downfall of america, full cycles of corruption, i hope we get attacked by terrorists again.[/quote]
Cause and effect. Healthcare costs are not on rise because of lawsuits, lawsuits are the result of a pending problem, not the cause. Preventing the consumer from filing suit is not going to solve it.
Healthcare costs are high because it has outreached its economic value. Insurance being offered is a large cost, as the insured pays a higher amount for each uninsured claim that goes through. Eventually the cost reaches too high, causing less insured and more uninsured, effectively raising insured costs more. Add to this a profit margin that allows companies to retain 20% or more of their profits (larger than ANY corporate company in the country) and you see the effects when profit is lumped onto an already high cost from a government protected industry that sees no reason to lower its costs.
Prescriptions in other countries are HALF of the cost here, yet the manufacturer is the same, the product is the same, the cost is the same. Greed is a very large problem in healthcare. A frivolous lawsuit is much harder to file as a small person vs. a large company and win. It's much easier for a corporation to take advantage of lawsuits to force settlements (DirectTV, RIAA) as most of us don't have the time or money to fight a case in court. "Frivilous" lawsuits work both ways.
In regard to video rentals, Blockbuster did get sued for its practices years ago, not because they charged late fees, but because they charged a late fee AND a daily fee with no end to the fees. One could pay $300+ for a late video, and if in error, there was no way for the customer to prove otherwise. People settle because they cannot afford the legal battle. I'm sure the case with this here is that the price being charged for damage items is WAY beyond a reasonable level, and in that case I have to agree that there needs to be a reasonable cost, or that the fees are stated very clearly in rental agreements (as often they are not).
