Thought on high-speed police chases
Let's say I am tooling down the road at 30 or 40 miles an hour over the limit. I'm weaving in and out of traffic, passing on the wrong side, maybe even the shoulder, and causing some real problems for those on the highway that I encounter in my travels.
I happen to notice that there is a car behind me, following my every move. He's doing the same thing I'm doing move for move.
So, awhile down the road, it happens. Someone doesn't take evasion action quick enough to avoid the dangerous situation I caused and a horrendous crash ensues. Perhaps even a few people get killed.
The car behind me, who was doing the same thing, doesn't hit anyone. They keep on going, or maybe even stop to assist those that I injured by my actions.
What share in the fault for the accident should the person who was driving the car behind me, and was doing everything I did, but didn't hit anyone, share? How much should they be liable?
That's the easy, and the trick part of the question. The obvious answer is, none! But you might be surprised to know that many, many persons feel the driver of the other car SHOULD be liable for the accident, even though they didn't hit anyone and didn't cause the accident! Why? Because the person in the other car was a police officer with flashing lights on trying to get me to stop!
The Supreme Court has ruled that in such a case, there must be something like gross negligence shown on the part of the police officer for them to be liable. Can any of you come up with a valid reason as to why so many people think that having the flashing red lights on a police vehicle while trying to get someone like this off the road makes them liable for the other driver's bad conduct?