Ruling says gas stations liable

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | 8/22/5 | JAMIE SATTERFIELD

[planekT]

Uh oh,.........LMAO!

[Michael.SF.]

But, where does it stop?

That I could not answer, but if the guy was too drunk to be able to put gas in his car, then the attendents had no business doing it for him.

The case deserves to go to trial and both sides deserve to be heard.

[libstripper]

This is a terrible decision. Most of the less expensive gas stations in the Knoxville area, and much of the state, are self service; many have very convenient credit card activated pumps that allow people to purchase gas at all hours of the day and night. It would be incredibly easy to stretch this to all of those stations, thereby virtually outlawing self service gas stations and credit card activated pumps. The legislature needs to step in and reverse or narrow this decision.

[SolidRedState]

Drunk driver - no deep pockets. Gas station - deep pockets.

Hi, dirtboy. Agree, or at least the appearance or impression of deep pockets.

Probably will run the owner out of business.

[libstripper]

By this decision, you probably are.

[Michael.SF.]

I fear that I will be greatly dissappointed.

I would be more disappointed at the potential number of Freepers that might help a guy, put gas in his car when he is too drunk to do it himself.

[SolidRedState]

then the attendents had no business doing it for him.

But the attendants were off-duty and acting on their own accord.

[RetiredArmy]

Can they sue the gas station that sold Kennedy the gas before he plunged Mary Jo to her death?

[neksterbor]

It's a crime to roll a drunk, what else did you take?

[Jaysun]

I would be more disappointed at the potential number of Freepers that might help a guy, put gas in his car when he is too drunk to do it himself.

When you see a drunk the best thing to do is strip him naked and put him in his back seat. He'll be too ashamed of his nudity to move about right away.

That's what my wife did to me once, at least that's my theory as to how I ended up in the bed of my truck (which was parked in our driveway) totally nude one cold winter's night.

[BlueNgold]

Insanity!

[BlueNgold]

Will owners now be responsible to ensure that all gas buyers are legal drivers, in good standing, with no mental or physical ailments that would prevent them from operating their vehicles safely?

FL stations should be very worried: Imagine if they are considered responsible for the senile drivers with sever vision impairment that routinely hold up the lines down there?

[RobRoy]

>>It's a crime to roll a drunk, what else did you take?<<

I called the cops.

[SolidRedState]

at least that's my theory as to how I ended up in the bed of my truck (which was parked in our driveway) totally nude one cold winter's night.

LOL. Too funny.

[muir_redwoods]

Bring back the asylums. Putting the insane on the bench isn't working

[Michael.SF.]

But the attendants were off-duty and acting on their own accord.

Agreed. Which would be a good thing for the defense to point out to the jury as a reason to absolve them of all or some of the liability.

[tophat9000]

Tarver from driving, they still could have refused to sell him gas, the court ruled.

Please show me a state law that they could have refused to sell him gas...While many business claim the right to refuse to serve anyone hasn't that been struck down repeatedly by the courts if your a public business you must serve the public unless the law requires you not to..IE no selling liquored to some one thats drunk...

The lawyers have taken the peoples freedom away to use their own judgment then turn around after the fact and tell you that your legally reasonable for not using your own judgment... dammed if you do dammed if you don't...

Lets put it this way, lawyers and the court are just fickle enough that if the gas station had refused to sell gas to this guy because he was drunk he probably could of sue and won because show me the law saying a gas station can decide I'm not fit to drive

[don-o]

I am sure this will be mentioned down thread.

But, how about selling that last Twinkie to one who then dies from a heart attack?

[frithguild]

These policy arguments are now reduced to closing arguments. So do you think you can sell this in the face of evidence that the guy was falling down drunk and he could have been stopped by a call to the police?

This is a classic for the old saying "hard facts make bad law"

[Itzlzha]

what is the going rate for a gas station attendant with a medical degree?

LOL!!!!

And, as we all know, those MD pump attendants all have State Calibrated Breathalyzers...or are also Phelbotomists with a State Certified protocol for handling samples from potential criminals...

"Judge/Lawyer/Politician...Rope...Tree"*

(*some assembly required)