Bad decision

Re: Linda Hunt awarded $300,000 for drunk driving accident:

If ever a judgement needs to be appealed, this is one of them. Why should the Sutton Group have to pay so severely for an adult decision that they tried to talk Linda Hunt out of making? They offered to call her husband and she made her adult decision to turn down that offer, and then made her adult decision to go elsewhere and drink some more.

What would the Sutton Group's responsibility be if they had taken her home safely and after arriving home, she decided to take her car and go to a bar for a few more drinks? Would the Sutton Group still be responsible for her conduct, and how long does this responsibility carry on? If they had forcibly removed her car keys and kept them from her overnight, they would probably have been in danger of a lawsuit for stealing her car.

As for the defense lawyer’s statement that “a case like this saves lives and will keep impaired drivers off the road,” surely the reverse is true. One can now abdicate all ones own decisions about drinking and driving and leave that decision entirely in the hands of others while merrily downing all the booze they can get hold of.

In spite of the fact that this will cost the Sutton Groups' insurers, rather than the Sutton Group themselves, it is still a bad decision on the part of the courts and will open up all kinds of suits against companies, groups and individuals in the future.

Dale Sander

Broker/Owner

Fife & Sander Real Estate Services

Bracebridge, Ont.