You guys (tcmtech, Joe Jester) seem to miss how American tort cases are litigated. Everyone gets sued. The awards come from those of that "class" with the deepest pockets. If you happen to be an hourly employee somewhere with minimal net worth, you don't have a lot to worry about. If you are a professional and giving advice out of your field or a corporation, you have a lot to worry about, and your "malpractice/general liability" insurance won't cover it.

The Internet does not provide immunity from being sued. Anyone can be sued by a contingency lawyer in the USA. The real cost is defense, which is not recoverable under the American rule*, not the fear of losing. Remember, contingency lawyers don't eat, unless they get 40% (or more) of a settlement. Because of the cost of litigation, a very high percentage of such cases settle, even those without merit. To make matters worse, if you operate under a pseudonym, you may not be able to represent yourself. You will have to hire an attorney.

OK, so if you don't want to respond to a post, don't. I follow that approach often in my area of professional expertise. However, AAC might remain liable, might be perceived as having deep pockets, and might have substantial liability risk. Real or imagined, AAC has every right and responsibility to its stockholders (if any) to limit such liability.

John

*The exceptions are very hard to prove.

 

I however feel I am being blocked from helping them learn something new that may be of considerable value to them to know.

You have the ability to strike up a personal conversation via the forums that doesn't appear in the forum. Then of course, there is offline. If you feel compelled to help them, there are ways.

 

You guys (tcmtech, Joe Jester) seem to miss how American tort cases are litigated. Everyone gets sued. The awards come from those of that "class" with the deepest pockets. If you happen to be an hourly employee somewhere with minimal net worth, you don't have a lot to worry about. If you are a professional and giving advice out of your field or a corporation, you have a lot to worry about, and your "malpractice/general liability" insurance won't cover it.

The Internet does not provide immunity from being sued. Anyone can be sued by a contingency lawyer in the USA. The real cost is defense, which is not recoverable under the American rule*, not the fear of losing. Remember, contingency lawyers don't eat, unless they get 40% (or more) of a settlement. Because of the cost of litigation, a very high percentage of such cases settle, even those without merit. To make matters worse, if you operate under a pseudonym, you may not be able to represent yourself. You will have to hire an attorney.

OK, so if you don't want to respond to a post, don't. I follow that approach often in my area of professional expertise. However, AAC might remain liable, might be perceived as having deep pockets, and might have substantial liability risk. Real or imagined, AAC has every right and responsibility to its stockholders (if any) to limit such liability.

John

*The exceptions are very hard to prove.

That sounds about as highly circumstantial and largely made up as the 'no mains powered LED's' rule. Not impossible but way beyond realistic enough to be of any valid concern in all but the rarest of situations and people involved.

 

Not impossible but way beyond realistic enough to be of any valid concern in all but the rarest of situations and people involved.

This site has, probably, over 100k unique visitors per year. It only takes one to satisfy your "rarest of situations" scenario.

 

I play far worse odds with my life every time I get in my vehicle and so do you and everyone else Which goes right back to the questionable validity of how real bonified safety is being handled here Vs just being biased lip service.

If playing a 1:100,000+ odds a year on a internet forum is too risky then every single person who argues that it's too risky had better pack themselves up and never go near a vehicle again (~ 1:9000 annual odds) or just admit they are hypocrites when it come to safety issues.

http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/mortality-risk

BTW realistically internet liability tort lawsuits per year are so low I cannot find any defining numbers on them yet in regards to actual internet posts there are over 20 billion of them every day which in my rough estimate puts anyone suing AAC or any member here over a personal liability and it ever so much as making it to court in the Trillions to 1 likelihood.

SO, given that if those numbers are too risky for you you might as well just put a bullet in your own head and be done with life because of that sort of stuff worries you to the point of debating it as being a valid concern you have some real issues to work though. .

So could it happen? Well yea, but statistically any one of us has a substantially better chance of winning the next lottery without having ever so much as bought a ticket.