Re[2]: MIT, Quaker Oats Settle Radiation Lawsuit

[Steven.Rima@DOEGJPO.COM (Steven Rima)]

     It's a REAL bad example in this case, because McDonalds DID go to 
     trial, and lost!!!! Since juries are so inclined to award huge sums of 
     money to stupid people, where no damage was incurred, etc., 
     corporations, universities, insurance companies, etc. will continue to 
     settle out of court, regardless of the facts of the case. It's a very 
     unfortunate consequence of our justice system.
     
     Unfortunately, in the case of radiation, society wants to judge what 
     happened decades ago against the knowledge and standards of today. If 
     "informed consent," whatever that really means, was not used or 
     required in the past, why on earth should we give people money now, 
     especially when there was no damage done to the person?!? We don't do 
     that with any other technology, so why with "nuclear things?" Cars in 
     the 40's were not required to have seat belts, and many people were 
     killed as a consequence, yet we're not awarding lots of money to their 
     families because they're required now. There's lots of other 
     analogies, but you get the point. Hindsight is always 20-20, but we 
     can't judge past actions against today's standards, ethics, laws, etc. 
     It's not valid!
     
     Steven D. Rima, CHP
     Manager, Health Physics and Industrial Hygiene
     MACTEC-ERS, LLC
     steven.rima@doegjpo.com


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: MIT, Quaker Oats Settle Radiation Lawsuit
Author:  "Dale E. Boyce" <dale@radpro.uchicago.edu> at Internet
Date:    1/5/98 4:48 PM


I hate to go off topic, and this is close, but the McDonalds coffee 
incident is a bad example.  The McD's in question kept their coffee 
at a temperature that exceeded written company policy.  Just as in 
the radiation safety business if you put it in writing that you will 
do something one way and don't you leave yourself open.
     
Dale
     
     
Now where did I put my coffee.....