Declarations
An Incremental Approach
“We have been working on lawsuit reform for years, taking mostly an incremental approach.”
—Oklahoma Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee approved five lawsuit reform measures: SB 862 would eliminate joint and several liability; SB 863 caps non-economic damages at $250,000; SB 864 requires compensation from sources independent of a defendant to be submitted as evidence and subtracted from damages recovered; SB 865 requires that juries receive accurate information regarding tax impact on awards; and SB 866 allows for periodic payment of future damages.
A Big Pot of Chili
“Nobody could get back out onto the highway, and the little diner down the street was closed. So we made a big pot of chili and a big pot of stew and fed some people.”
—Bill Wood, owner of the Western Motel in Vinita, Okla. Wood said several truckers who pulled off I-44 before a record-breaking blizzard hit in early February ended up stranded at his motel. Wood said most of the stranded motorists ventured back onto the interstate by the following afternoon. As much as 20 inches of snow were recorded in many parts of Oklahoma. Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City was closed for about 16 hours as a result of the storm.
Electronics Not to Blame
“There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.”
—U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. A U.S. government investigation showed no link between electronic throttles and unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles, a victory for the world’s top automaker battered by recalls over runaway vehicles. The encouraging result for Toyota stems from a 10-month probe ordered by Congress following recalls of nearly 8 million of its best-selling models in the United States over defective floor mats and accelerator pedals that hurt its reputation for quality. Some safety advocates and congressional investigators questioned whether software-driven throttles also played a role in unintended acceleration complaints. Reuters