Money Grubbing Biotch

[darin]

This pisses ME right-off. What about you?



MARYSVILLE, Wash. - A local woman has filed a $10 million claim against the state, blaming faulty cable barriers for the death of three people.

Fawn Ringen drove up to a crash on Interstate-5 near Marysville two years ago and immediately recogized the car involved. It belonged to her parents, Daryl and Sandra Knapp.
....
Ringen's parents were in the car along with her 6-year-old brother Noah. All three were killed.
......
The Knapps were driving on I-5 when a pickup pulling a trailer plowed through a cable barrier, crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into their car.

Fawn Ringen just filed a $10 million claim against the Department of Transportation. She says the cable barriers are partly to blame. Ringen says the barriers' inadequate design or construction or both caused a failure that led to the deadly crash.

http://www.komotv.com/news/6898477.html


That's SUCH a load of CRAP. The truck hauling the trailer who crossed the median is what caused the accident - NOT a cable-barrier. I tell you - I'm serious - there will be a day when liberals outlaw driving. Ever seen I-Robot? Where ppl weren't supposed to actually DRIVE their cars? Libs and other politicians are IDIOTS about 'safety'. This is further displayed in the recent passing of a bill requiring ALL new cars to come with Electronic Stability Control. That's it - instead of TEACHING PEOPLE TO DRIVE BETTER, they'll simply wrap people in an isolated cocoon while the software/hardware makers of the products get oil-company-rich off public 'fears' of rolling their car over.

IDIOTS.

:(

[Gaffer]

I think its pure greed on this woman's part. She's using the death of her family to make money through the help of some shister lawyer. And the more liberal the court the more likely she will win.

[CockySOB]

I think its pure greed on this woman's part. She's using the death of her family to make money through the help of some shister lawyer. And the more liberal the court the more likely she will win.

Agreed. She probably figured out that the truck driver didn't have any money, so the only way to get anything was to sue the State. Deplorable. I sympathize with her sorrow and distress, but the blame here lies with the truck driver, not the State.

[aprilmarie82]

I have known Fawn Ringen for 11 years now and I can tell you that is not about greed. The accident that took place when 3 people lost their lives there was a part of Fawn that also died that day. The state has a responsibility to protect the road ways. To make sure of what they have created that is designed to keep the cars on the right side of the roads is done. In this case the cable barriers were not tall enough to keep this truck and his trailer where it belonged. This man that was reportedly speeding that was hauling in the non hauling lane lost control of his vehicle and got basically a slap on the hand and some tickets. If he had an alcohol content I'm sure he probably would have done time. So think of this if a man driving a semi truck fell asleep or lose control going 60 miles an hour headed for the cables, are the cables going to stop the truck? Those cables should be built as high as any vehicle that's going to be traveling on the road, including semi's. Now imagine you just got married and not even two months later you've lost your parents and your little brother. And for the most part the accident was due to not having the barriers between the roads properly built. Her parents left behind 3 teenagers whom were adopted, do you let them go back into the system when this is the family they've come to know and love or do you take care of them? I don't know who you people are, but you don't talk crap about what you don't know!!! Fawn has lost the some of the most important people that she loves and she lives through the pain everyday. Darrell, Sandra, and Noah were and still are great people, tons of people lost them and they are greatly loved!!! Why shouldn't the state pay for their mistake of building something that didn't serve the purpose? And you people who call her a "Money Grubbing Biotch" tell me, wouldn't you be pissed because you lost your loved ones partly due to these measly cables?

[darin]

The state has no responsibility to control every driver on every road. At fault is the driver of the truck.

If those close to me should die in an accident, I will NOT SUE the government for "failing to protect them" from fate...accidents...or the neglect of another vehicle operator, etc.

This instance is about money.

[The ClayTaurus]

This pisses ME right-off. What about you?



That's SUCH a load of CRAP. The truck hauling the trailer who crossed the median is what caused the accident - NOT a cable-barrier. I tell you - I'm serious - there will be a day when liberals outlaw driving. Ever seen I-Robot? Where ppl weren't supposed to actually DRIVE their cars? Libs and other politicians are IDIOTS about 'safety'. This is further displayed in the recent passing of a bill requiring ALL new cars to come with Electronic Stability Control. That's it - instead of TEACHING PEOPLE TO DRIVE BETTER, they'll simply wrap people in an isolated cocoon while the software/hardware makers of the products get oil-company-rich off public 'fears' of rolling their car over.

IDIOTS.

:(You know how I generally feel about driving laws in this country, but where does it reference anyone's politics in this story?

[aprilmarie82]

Did I say that the state is at fault for not being able to control every driver, no I said that the state has a responsibility for making sure the drivers are not supposed to cross the median. Since the cable barriers did not serve the purpose to not allow the cars to cross the median it was all a waste of money. If the cables did what they were supposed to do they would still be alive!! The man that caused the whole crash didn't do any time, do you think that wrong? Or should he have gotten off with nothing like the state? I think that you would feel different if it were you. We all can say I would never do that, but you can't be so sure, it's easy to say that when your not in the situation yourself.

[johnney]

if a person is going fast enough they will get over almost everything. so what do you think should happen? put cops out on the highways hand in hand jsut to make sure people are doing what they are supposed to be doing?

[REDWHITEBLUE2]

well to be honest being the hard core conservative that I am this may sound weired but good for her I live in the marysville WA area and these cables are the worst excuse for safety ever thought of they are 2 cables one about 6in off the ground the other about 2ft off the ground I drive a semi and can tell you they will not stop a truck or as in this accident a pick up truck the only thing they stop is a little foreign car we have bitched for years about this safety hazard maybe this lawsuit will get the state off their lazy asses and get them fixed south of marysville all the way to the Oregon border there is either concrete barriers or guard rails north of marysville to the Canadian border are these useless cables needless to say the death rate north of marysville is about 50% higher then south

[manu1959]

well to be honest being the hard core conservative that I am this may sound weired but good for her I live in the marysville WA area and these cables are the worst excuse for safety ever thought of they are 2 cables one about 6in off the ground the other about 2ft off the ground I drive a semi and can tell you they will not stop a truck or as in this accident a pick up truck the only thing they stop is a little foreign car we have bitched for years about this safety hazard maybe this lawsuit will get the state off their lazy asses and get them fixed south of marysville all the way to the Oregon border there is either concrete barriers or guard rails north of marysville to the Canadian border are these useless cables needless to say the death rate north of marysville is about 50% higher then south

i remeber they used to just have oleanders.....one time driving to tahoe on 80 east os sacramento a car appeared comming through the bushes.....now it is all concrete and weeds.....

[Yurt]

the question is....does the state have a duty to put in place higher barriers?

yes - the state could be likened to a business that opens its doors to the public, the public are invitees. invitees are owed a higher duty of care than trespassors, for example. the duty, generally, is to have a safe environment for the invitee. no long standing water in the middle of the aisle that could cause someone to fall, for instance. if something is a known danger, and it is reasonable to create something that will prevent the known danger, then shouldn't that danger be prevented?

no - you do not have a right to drive on any public highway. it is a privilege. you take a test, you are made aware of most dangers on a highway. if you are not, the reasonable person would understand that a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction could enter your lane of travel and seriously injure you. if the state puts up a cable barrier, it is doubtful that the reasonable person would travel or not travel on said highway due solely to the fact of the barrier. the driver assumed the risk of danger by entering the highway.

i could go on :coffee:

[aprilmarie82]

Has anyone told you what assuming means? I think that you've gotten pretty technical on this subject. It's just like someone getting their third or forth DUI and they keep getting license back when clearly they haven't learned their lesson. It's only a matter of time before the get into a bad accident and kill someone, then will they finally take the license away for good? There should be a three strikes your out when getting DUI's or even less. How many people should die before they have learned that these "cable barriers" are not doing the job. I do believe the death toll just in that area is five people now.

[5stringJeff]

Did I say that the state is at fault for not being able to control every driver, no I said that the state has a responsibility for making sure the drivers are not supposed to cross the median.

I disagree with this assumption. It is the driver's responsibility not to cross the median. The cables certainly ought to provide an extra precaution, but to say that the faulty cable barriers are the proximate cause of these people's horrible death is untrue. The proximate cause was the truck driver. Why isn't he being sued? My guess is, he doesn't have billions of dollars in tax revenue coming in every year.

[aprilmarie82]

I disagree with this assumption. It is the driver's responsibility not to cross the median. The cables certainly ought to provide an extra precaution, but to say that the faulty cable barriers are the proximate cause of these people's horrible death is untrue. The proximate cause was the truck driver. Why isn't he being sued? My guess is, he doesn't have billions of dollars in tax revenue coming in every year.


I don't think that I have ever said that the barriers were the only fault. Of course the driver was also at fault, but if the cable were built higher the chances that they would still be alive would also be higher. Who's to say that he's not being sued along with the state who's failure it was to protect.

[Abbey Marie]

Deep pockets, baby.

[Hobbit]

I don't think that I have ever said that the barriers were the only fault. Of course the driver was also at fault, but if the cable were built higher the chances that they would still be alive would also be higher. Who's to say that he's not being sued along with the state who's failure it was to protect.

And if the whole highway was wrapped in titanium strong bubble-wrap, there wouldn't have been a wreck. Now pay attention, because I'm only going to say this once:

The state does not have an inherent responsibility to save drivers from each other except through the enforcement of existing laws.

The thing that burns me about this is that now that there are 2 foot high cable barriers designed to corral slightly drifting drivers, you seem to think that the state is responsible for making them capable of taking a head on collision from a semi. Most highways I drive on don't have anything but grass between the 2 sides of the highway, and when a truck jumps the median, it's his fault and ONLY his fault. This case here is yet another example of tort run amok.

[The ClayTaurus]

I don't think that I have ever said that the barriers were the only fault. Of course the driver was also at fault, but if the cable were built higher the chances that they would still be alive would also be higher. Who's to say that he's not being sued along with the state who's failure it was to protect.When planes crash, should the state be liable for not covering the ground with giant, fluffy pillows?

[REDWHITEBLUE2]

Has anyone told you what assuming means? I think that you've gotten pretty technical on this subject. It's just like someone getting their third or forth DUI and they keep getting license back when clearly they haven't learned their lesson. It's only a matter of time before the get into a bad accident and kill someone, then will they finally take the license away for good? There should be a three strikes your out when getting DUI's or even less. How many people should die before they have learned that these "cable barriers" are not doing the job. I do believe the death toll just in that area is five people now. 5 in a 1 year period

[aprilmarie82]

When planes crash, should the state be liable for not covering the ground with giant, fluffy pillows?

You've got to be kidding me, fluffy pillows. Planes crash because there is a malfunction inside the plane somewhere. The bottom line here is if there happens to be a lot of accidents on the highways the state has the RESPONSIBILITY to fix them.

[manu1959]

You've got to be kidding me, fluffy pillows. Planes crash because there is a malfunction inside the plane somewhere. The bottom line here is if there happens to be a lot of accidents on the highways the state has the RESPONSIBILITY to fix them.

how exactly is the state responsible for the bad driving of a few......

[darin]

It's about deep pockets and revenge. it's pretty clear to those who (thankfully) aren't clouded by grief and a false sense of justice. I sympathize for the loss your friend endured, and I was wrong to call her a bitch. Losing my family would likely cause ME to lose my mind, and I might be tempted to go after MONEY - like a lottery ticket. BUT - hopefully my VALUES would preclude me from simply finding the deepest pockets to sue.

[aprilmarie82]

It's about deep pockets and revenge. it's pretty clear to those who (thankfully) aren't clouded by grief and a false sense of justice. I sympathize for the loss your friend endured, and I was wrong to call her a bitch. Losing my family would likely cause ME to lose my mind, and I might be tempted to go after MONEY - like a lottery ticket. BUT - hopefully my VALUES would preclude me from simply finding the deepest pockets to sue.


So if the state put those cables up and it was designed to keep the cars from going to the opposite side of the road who is supposed to make them better and correct the problem your next door neighbor? Your right you were wrong to call her a bitch, but because she is going after the state doesn't mean that she has bad values either. You know I myself didn't understand why she was going after the state and I too thought it wasn't right, what was money going to do for you it won't bring back your parents. But I understand being pissed about something that the state put up that was ultimately suppose to keep the cars on the right side of the road. I too would sue them because it did not serve the purpose and not only that but didn't build them higher or correct in any way this design. It was conformed a few comments back that it has been 5 deaths in a 1 year period and nothings been corrected. And Fawn isn't the only family that has gone after the state for this reason and they won....

[The ClayTaurus]

You've got to be kidding me, fluffy pillows. Planes crash because there is a malfunction inside the plane somewhere. The bottom line here is if there happens to be a lot of accidents on the highways the state has the RESPONSIBILITY to fix them.I'm not kidding you at all.

So, if the truck crashed across the median because of a malfunction inside the truck somewhere, suddenly the state isn't responsible? Conversely, if planes crash because of pilot error (similar to the truck crashing due to driver error) then the state is responsible for not sufficiently padding the ground?

[darin]

Those cables are there to HELP PREVENT things. NOT 'prevent things'. She is going after the state because she wants money. If this were about principle, she'd ask the state to use whatever money she's looking for towards improving driver's training AND barriers between flows of traffic.

WHAT GOOD will suing the state DO. Seriously. Can you articulate exactly HOW suing the state will keep ANYONE safe?

5 deaths in 1 year along that part of I5 is not a tragedy. It's probably within the norm as far as traffic fatalities across most any congested freeway would show.

She's suing because she's using the death of her family as a means to 'win the lottery.' it's crap. She's doing an injusted to the people of Washington State.

[The ClayTaurus]

Those cables are there to HELP PREVENT things. NOT 'prevent things'. She is going after the state because she wants money. If this were about principle, she'd ask the state to use whatever money she's looking for towards improving driver's training AND barriers between flows of traffic.

WHAT GOOD will suing the state DO. Seriously. Can you articulate exactly HOW suing the state will keep ANYONE safe?

5 deaths in 1 year along that part of I5 is not a tragedy. It's probably within the norm as far as traffic fatalities across most any congested freeway would show.

She's suing because she's using the death of her family as a means to 'win the lottery.' it's crap. She's doing an injusted to the people of Washington State.Actually, someone is likely capitalizing on her grief and has convinced her that the state is responsible. I bet 3-4 years from now she'll realize she was being taken advantage of, whether she collects a payout or not.

[manu1959]

So if the state put those cables up and it was designed to keep the cars from going to the opposite side of the road who is supposed to make them better and correct the problem your next door neighbor? Your right you were wrong to call her a bitch, but because she is going after the state doesn't mean that she has bad values either. You know I myself didn't understand why she was going after the state and I too thought it wasn't right, what was money going to do for you it won't bring back your parents. But I understand being pissed about something that the state put up that was ultimately suppose to keep the cars on the right side of the road. I too would sue them because it did not serve the purpose and not only that but didn't build them higher or correct in any way this design. It was conformed a few comments back that it has been 5 deaths in a 1 year period and nothings been corrected. And Fawn isn't the only family that has gone after the state for this reason and they won....

how many cars have hit the barrier......how many have gone through it......5 deaths in 365 days of how many millions of cars driving by it......

yea it is the barriers fault.....

[Abbey Marie]

So if the state put those cables up and it was designed to keep the cars from going to the opposite side of the road who is supposed to make them better and correct the problem your next door neighbor? Your right you were wrong to call her a bitch, but because she is going after the state doesn't mean that she has bad values either. You know I myself didn't understand why she was going after the state and I too thought it wasn't right, what was money going to do for you it won't bring back your parents. But I understand being pissed about something that the state put up that was ultimately suppose to keep the cars on the right side of the road. I too would sue them because it did not serve the purpose and not only that but didn't build them higher or correct in any way this design. It was conformed a few comments back that it has been 5 deaths in a 1 year period and nothings been corrected. And Fawn isn't the only family that has gone after the state for this reason and they won....


See, that's where you are going wrong. It is the drivers responsibiltiy to keep his car on the right side of the road.

Given your logic, the state should would have been wise to not put up any barrier whatsoever. Because once they did, people like you heap the responsibility on the state to then guarantee no one ever crosses the median. As a matter of public policy, this is an unintended and poor conequence. We should not make people or entities want to take fewer safety measures for fear of engendering lawsuits like this woman's.

[darin]

Why isn't Fawn suing the makers of the cars which 'failed to keep the folks safe'? Why isn't she suing the tire companies for 'failing to ensure the truck never left the road'?
Why isn't she suing the fire/rescue folk for failing to be closer to the scene of the accident?
Why isn't she suing God for failing to send Angels to protect the family?

Money, Money, Money.

how many cars has the barrier succesfully stopped?

[REDWHITEBLUE2]

Fiery Crash Closes I-5 Lanes In Marysville
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 – updated: 6:17 pm PST February 13, 2007

MARYSVILLE, Wash. -- One person was killed and another seriously injured Tuesday afternoon when a sports utility vehicle and charter bus collided on Interstate 5.

The crash happened on Northbound I-5 near Marysville at milepost 200 just after 3 p.m.

The southbound SUV allegedly crossed the cable barrier median and collided with the northbound bus, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.

Video: Northbound I-5 Shut Down Following Fiery Crash


According to the Washington State Patrol the driver of the SUV was reported dead at the scene and the bus driver was seriously injured.

All northbound lanes of I-5 and two southbound lanes were closed while troopers investigated.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation the last of the cable barriers were installed along I-5 on Jan. 31.

Tuesday’s crash was the first fatal crash in more than a year on that stretch of I-5.

Seven people were killed on the same stretch of I-5 in cross-over crashes between 2000 and 2004.

More than half of those deaths were caused due to the barriers not being installed correctly, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.

According to WSDOT, crews have since re-installed the barriers and added a second row of cables to prevent cross-over accidents.http://www.kirotv.com/traffic/11003979/detail.html

[Abbey Marie]

Well maybe I should reconsider my opinion. Did the incorrectly-installed barriers pull people's cars over the median to oncoming traffic?

[manu1959]

Fiery Crash Closes I-5 Lanes In Marysville
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 – updated: 6:17 pm PST February 13, 2007

MARYSVILLE, Wash. -- One person was killed and another seriously injured Tuesday afternoon when a sports utility vehicle and charter bus collided on Interstate 5.

The crash happened on Northbound I-5 near Marysville at milepost 200 just after 3 p.m.

The southbound SUV allegedly crossed the cable barrier median and collided with the northbound bus, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.

Video: Northbound I-5 Shut Down Following Fiery Crash


According to the Washington State Patrol the driver of the SUV was reported dead at the scene and the bus driver was seriously injured.

All northbound lanes of I-5 and two southbound lanes were closed while troopers investigated.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation the last of the cable barriers were installed along I-5 on Jan. 31.

Tuesday’s crash was the first fatal crash in more than a year on that stretch of I-5.

Seven people were killed on the same stretch of I-5 in cross-over crashes between 2000 and 2004.

More than half of those deaths were caused due to the barriers not being installed correctly, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.

According to WSDOT, crews have since re-installed the barriers and added a second row of cables to prevent cross-over accidents.http://www.kirotv.com/traffic/11003979/detail.html

what were they magnetic.....

[REDWHITEBLUE2]

Well maybe I should reconsider my opinion. Did the incorrectly-installed barriers pull people's cars over the median to oncoming traffic? :beer: only in the southbound lanes :laugh2:

[darin]

here's another chance for a wining lottery ticket!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_re_us/frostbite_revenge


The victim should sue the state for failing to protect her from everything possible. The state KNEW it was cold outside. The state SHOULD HAVE KNOWN somebody might get cold. Therefore the state was negligent in failing to provide propate heaters along every stretch of road.