I realize that judicial practices and litigation customs are different in other countries…but sometimes you see something that, regardless of nationality, causes you to say, “Dude, that ain’t right!” From a wire service story:
Enaitz Iriondo, 17, died instantly in August 2004 when businessman Tomas Delgado’s Audi A8 crashed into him at 100 mph near Haro in northern Spain, an Interior Ministry traffic report said. The speed limit was 55 mph.
Iriondo was not wearing reflective clothing or a helmet, the ministry report said. As the sun had set when he crossed the path of Delgado’s car from a side road, a regional court found both parties at fault and closed the case, the report said.
Delgado, whose insurance company paid Iriondo’s parents $48,500 in compensation for their son’s life, filed a suit in late 2006 to recover $29,400 in damages to his car and car rental costs, the ministry traffic report said.
Again, realizing that such things are viewed differently outside the U.S., this is the sort of situation where, even if the person who lost his life was partially at fault, the survivor should be thanking his lucky stars that he wasn’t hurt, and that he’s not being sued for an amount far in excess of his liability insurance limits.