coolandhot

I have heard that people do not sue each other as much in Panama. Is that true? If so, why is that the case?

barnes

I guess that's true. The legal system is less developed and people are more likely to accept personal responsibility (or should I say "fate") instead of seeking blame elsewhere.

Lalaguayaba

Its not as worth suing ppl in Panama, or indeed in any other county aside from the U.S. (and unfortunately, now Canada,) because of our over-developed legal system and general reticence to accept personal responsibility. There is also no where near as much personal wealth and lawyers are expensive.

Cheers.

tallman33

I think people are supposed to just look after their own money and property and do what they can to protect themselves. That's what personal responsibility means. It means doing what you can to avoid getting ripped off.

Lalaguayaba

Personal responsibility is being able to order really hot coffee, and then realize that its HOT--and not suing when you spill some on your lap (which has become popular for idiots--the original suit was totally justified as it seriously injured a little old lady.) McFacts abut the McDonalds Coffee Lawsuit
mcdonalds coffee lawsuit - Google Search
Its asking your dry cleaner to pay for replacement pants when they lose yours, not sue them for $54 million. And this guy is a U.S. District Court judge, to boot! Judge loses 27 million pound dry-cleaning case | Oddly Enough | Reuters
Disciplinary investigation into $65,000,000 dry cleaner lawsuit? - Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal responsibility is accepting that just because someone cut you off in traffic does not give you permission to follow them home and beat them up...but I digress. In many cases, it just seems that Americans have lost the ability to take responsibility for their own actions and reactions to everyday events, instead they must go out and 'pursue their Constitutional right' to file a lawsuit over a (usually minor) perceived wrong.
It brings to mind all the goofy 911 calls that people make, recent ones that come to mind; a frisbee stuck on the roof, being locked out of a running automobile..."because AAA will take two hours, and I need to get to work!!" an inability to read the instructions on a microwave dinner because their reading glasses were misplaced, and other instances that really makes one want to believe that there are Darwin awards in these folks' futures.
The overwhelming array of tort cases and class actions that are filed everyday is amazing, it could almost make one believe that just breathing is massively dangerous, and should only be attempted upon the advice of a physician (a properly insured one, of course, just in case they're wrong about the breathing.)

Cheers.

tallman33

I haven't heard those 911 calls, but they sound funny. Of course, I guess they aren't as funny when you consider that they are hindering the 911 process, which is very important and serious.