Are the tsunami victims due to American negligence?

[MyUncle]

Tsunami victims to sue French hotel chain Accor, Thai govt, US authorities

VIENNA (AFX) - A group of Austrian and German victims of the Asian tsunami disaster are to file a lawsuit demanding that Thailand, French hotel chain Accor (Paris: FR0000120404 - news) and US forecasters prove they reacted adequately to the disaster, their lawyers said.
The suit, naming Accor and the US-run tsunami early warning system in the Pacific as well as Thai authorities, will be filed in a New York district court this week, the lawyers said in Vienna.
'We found that serious lapses were committed,' said Herwig Hasslacher, one of the three lawyers for the group.
They said the suit was not, at present, designed to demand compensation but to uncover evidence that would prove negligence.
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/050215/323/fcing.html


This saddens and sickens me. I know the families must feel someone is to blame but I just can't see it being NOAA's fault. Also, if there were so many Europeans vacationing in that area of the world on a regular basis, why didn't they finance some sort of monitoring and warning system?

Sometimes there really is no one to blame or no one at fault. In this case it looks like lawyers stretching to find the money.

[Montresor]

1. troubling

Now a natural disaster is someone's fault. I can understand having better monitoring systems, but faulting the US monitoring for when you are vacationing thousands of miles away is ridiculous. And this suit "not at present designed to demand compensation", but in the future will.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi Montresor!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Warpy]

2. They want to hit the legal lottery while

exposing the lack of a warning system. Well, duh, we already know there wasn't a warning system.

Nothing would have saved people on northern Sumatra, though, they were too close. A system wouldn't have saved most villagers throughout the region, since lack of a communications infrastructure is even more of a problem than the lack of broadcast warnings were.

They may have a case against the Thai government, though, which neglected to warn the tourist areas of a possible tsunami. They had been warned by NOAA/USGS. They just didn't send the warning out.

[sybylla]

3. I agree, this is quite misdirected

They really should look at the Thai government, but how on earth will they ever get payment out of them if they win. You can't force a government that doesn't represent you to do anything and if it does represent you your chances are still near zero.

I understand the need for justice in such a sudden loss of their family members. I think it's unfortunate that there are lawyers in this world who will prey on that need and pick at that scab until they have made all the money they can.

I wish the families peace but I don't see it coming this way.

[sacxtra]

4. Why does it take a major catastrophy to figure this stuff out? n/t

[newyawker99]

7. Hi sacxtra!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Jack_DeLeon]

5. this is getting rediculous.

[evil_orange_cat]

8. the earthquake was Bush's fault...

that's what a lot of people are sounding like nowadays...

**puts on flame retardent suit...

It's good the US is helping, but when did America become the world's savior? Yeah, some shitty things may be happening with the tsunami relief, but that's to be expected. But that certainly isn't worth complaining about.

Now let's have a beer. :beer:

w00t!