Compensation Culture
Now the company says that it had role role in choosing Michael Jackson's doctor - Dr Conrad Murray - who is now locked up in jail for involuntary manslaughter after treating Jackson for insomia with a powerful surgical anaesthetic.
But what the hey - this crazy compensation culture we live in today seems to encourage people to make all kinds of ridiculous inflated claims in the hope - presumably - that all the aggravation involved in going to court will make their opponents pay up.
Take another, smaller scale example - but one much closer to home in Norfolk where PC Kelly Jones (33) filed a claim for £50,000 reportedly - against a petrol station owner because she tripped on a kerb while investigating a suspected break in at his premises.
Now I always thought that in order to have a sensible claim for compensation - you had to have actually lost something and that another person or organisation had to be to blame for your misfortune.
In this case PC Jones says she injured her leg during the incident last year - in which case I imagine all that was required was a few days rest - on full pay - before resuming her normal duties again.
So where does £50,000 come into the picture?
The Chief Constable of Norfolk Police - Phil Gormley - issued the following statement to say that he did not support his officer's claim:
"This type of claim does not represent the approach and attitude of the overwhelming majority of our staff who understand and accept the risks inherent in policing and which they willingly confront to keep the public they serve safe."
Meanwhile the poor garage owner - Steve Jones - pictured above in front of the offending kerb is left facing a legal action brought by PC Kelly's trade union - the Police Federation.
Mr Jones told the BBC that he did not think he could have done any more to make things safe for the officer, before adding:
"I think the kerb was fairly visible - as visible as any kerbs on the road she had already walked over to get here. When I got this letter I was anxious and worried."
Who wouldn't be? - but what a carry on for a man who was just trying to do what anyone else would have done - to protect his property and business.
