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Michael West
Technical Communications
GS - IT
Connell Wagner Pty Ltd
Office: 03 8683 1015
Mobile: 0407 485 228
Ned Bedinger wrote on 22/04/2008 05:29:45 PM:
> [...]The tyrany is in the assumption that calling it a letter makes it
just a
> letter. Consider, in the litigious States where I live, a major
> drive-through fast-food chain was sued royally for serving their coffee
> too hot--a hapless motorist got scalded when the coffee spilled on his
> shirt, and while no other damage occured, he sued and the jury awarded
> big bucks.[...]
That's why tech communicators have a review and approval process as part
of their development cycle. And if litigation is a concern, it would be
foolish not to have the correspondence vetted by a company director or
legal officer.
In the case you mention, it wasn't the poor moke who ran the coffee
machine that had to cough up big bucks. If he or she was following
procedures, no blame attaches, and if not following procedures, the worker
can be disciplined but not made liable for damages unless willful and
intentional harm can be proven.
By the way, I'm a US citzen and lived there for 50 years.
--
Mike West
Melbourne, Australia
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