Consumer Law

Come On Over WSJ, The Water?s Fine!

By Andy Hoffman

Let?s face it civil justice fans, when it comes to recognizing the essential role that lawsuits play in promoting corporate accountability, the Wall Street Journal isn?t exactly our soul mate.  So imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon a juicy little tidbit in today?s edition that suggests the blind may be beginning to see.  Or not.

The piece is an editorial called ?Peanut Butter Justice,? and it begins with a dire warning.  ?For any business thinking of cheating on quality to save a few bucks, here are some famous last words: Peanut Corporation of America.?

Beware, warns the Journal?s rabidly anti-regulation/civil justice ed. board?engaging in questionable corporate behavior (such as say, knowingly spreading salmonella-tainted peanut butter across the country, killing nine and sickening 600) could be very detrimental to your bottom line.

?Since the peanut butter-salmonella scandal was traced to PCA last month,? said the WSJ, ?the company and CEO Stewart Parnell have taken a very public path to corporate oblivion.?

Things must really be bad?because then, the board declares ?regulators share some blame,? for the tragedy.  (What?!)  Then they pronounce, the ?best food-safety enforcement tool? is the threat of ?corporate self-destruction? caused by, among other things?civil lawsuits!

What?s next?a full-throated denouncement of corporate immunity?  A call for the repeal of caps on damages?  Free hugs for ThePopTort?  The possibilities are endless!

Full post as published by ThePopTort on February 18, 2009 (boomark / email).