Joel’s Brain Blurps

I just read that the family of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock, who was killed last month when his SUV crashed into the back of a tow truck, is suing just about everyone involved in the incident, despite the fact that Hancock was driving drunk at the time of the accident.

To quickly recap: Hancock had been drinking at Mike Shannon’s restaurant in St. Louis after an afternoon game. Despite having a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit, he got in his SUV. It was reported that not only was Hancock intoxicated, but he was also talking on his cell phone at the time he hit the tow truck. Oh, and he also wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

As tragic as the situation is to his family, mostly everyone has to agree that Hancock was fully responsible for his own death. Everyone, that is, but Hancock’s family and the lawyers they hired. Not only are they suing the restaurant that served him those drinks, but they’re also suing the tow truck company, the tow truck driver and the driver of the stalled car that the tow truck was trying to remove.

Apparently, according to the suit, not getting your car out of the way after it stalls is now an actionable offense. Cripes. Leave it to the law profession to figure out new ways to screw innocent people. I mean, really; so what if the guy whose car broke down could have moved it to the side of the road? And the tow truck driver was just trying to do his job; apparently, he had just arrived a minute or two before Hancock crashed into the back of his truck. Hancock drank too much, he talked on a cell phone while driving drunk, and he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt.

I know the Hancock family is upset, and they think this might give them some closure on the matter. But why spread your misery to others who weren’t involved? Hopefully, they’ll come to their senses once their grief subsides a little bit and drop the suit. Either that or a judge will make them pay for the legal fees of at least the tow truck company and driver and the driver of the stalled car. They don’t deserve this nightmare.