You're Gonna Live! I'm Gonna Sue!

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Off Topic
Posted on Mon May 07, 2007 at 10:06:42 PM EST
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A guy went to the doctor and the doctor gave him six months to live. Six months later when the fellow hadn't paid his bill the doctor gave him another six months to live. -Henny Youngman

Here is a story I find funny:

A British man who went on a wild spending spree after doctors said he only had a short time to live . . . John Brandrick, 62, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago and told that he would probably die within a year.
He quit his job, sold or gave away nearly all his possessions, stopped paying his mortgage and spent his savings dining out and going on holiday. Brandrick was left with little more than the black suit, white shirt and red tie that he had planned to be buried in.
. . . [A] year later . . . . his suspected "tumor" was no more than a non-life threatening inflammation of the pancreas. . . . [H]e is considering . . . suing the hospital that diagnosed him.

Funny but I see his point. Reliance right?

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You're Gonna Live! I'm Gonna Sue! | 44 comments (44 topical)

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What's the problem? (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by garyb50 on Mon May 07, 2007 at 10:56:00 PM EST

...Did he gain so much weight his suit doesn't fit anymore?

Seriously, I'm beginning to think if you don't have a bone sticking out you're much better off staying the hell away from the Wonderful World of Medicine.

Health Care? Don't make me laugh.

That lawsuit wouldn't even fly in California! (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by oculus on Mon May 07, 2007 at 11:16:09 PM EST

This dude needs to count his blessings.... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by kdog on Tue May 08, 2007 at 08:03:16 AM EST

he leisurely got to dick around for a year...and now he has a new lease on life. Instead of suing the hospital, he should sell the rest of his stuff and bet it all on black...I mean the guy is hot right now, I'd say he can't lose.

Bottom line, he is suing over good news....thats ridiculous.

Well (5.00 / 3) (#13)
by squeaky on Tue May 08, 2007 at 09:28:20 AM EST

Vonnegut was going to sue the cigarette companies when he was in his early sixties. He was a long time heavy smoker and was very upset that the cancer sticks hadn't killed him yet.


: But he didn't..... (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by kdog on Tue May 08, 2007 at 09:35:22 AM EST

thats why he's one of my heroes. He was above and beyond filing piker lawsuits.

Another Six Months (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by squeaky on Tue May 08, 2007 at 09:45:43 AM EST

Sounds like Thomas Friedmans Joke. Lieberman has taken over selling it.

OK (5.00 / 3) (#17)
by Che's Lounge on Tue May 08, 2007 at 09:47:11 AM EST

Doctor: "I have good news and bad news."

Patient: "Whats the good news?"

Doctor: "You have 24 hours to live".

Patient: "That's the GOOD news? What's the bad news?"

Doctor: "I tried to call you yesterday."

What? (5.00 / 1) (#38)
by chemoelectric on Tue May 08, 2007 at 03:50:14 PM EST

He stopped paying his mortgage?

Temporary Insanity (none / 0) (#39)
by squeaky on Tue May 08, 2007 at 04:17:57 PM EST

Brought on by a mis-diagnosis. Delerium.


: This topic really has legs, eh? (none / 0) (#40)
by oculus on Tue May 08, 2007 at 04:40:18 PM EST

I dunno if you've read (none / 0) (#3)
by Elias on Mon May 07, 2007 at 11:35:22 PM EST

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St.John (great book about Alabama football/fan culture) but while on research for the book he met someone who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, who then sold all his possessions and bought like a $2,000,000 RV to be able to follow the team all season long. He didn't think of suing though, he just charged a couple bucks for tours of the thing.

Wow, if given news that I'm going to die (none / 0) (#4)
by Freewill on Mon May 07, 2007 at 11:37:49 PM EST

before I go selling everything and paying the diagnosing Doctor's bill, you had better believe I'm getting a second, third, and fourth opinion.

I was once informed by a Co-worker, "Everyone should know a crackhead. They'll sell everything, some really good stuff, for cheap!" (Advice never taken for obvious reasons)

However, I have thought about applying the above reasoning to "End of the Worlders". I've know several people who, with all do respect, actually believed that the Wrath of God was going to bear down upon the World and end all of the corruption and bring upon the Rapture. They were extremely serious and filled with unfettering faith. They explained to me that we would not exist past October 2005, maybe November 2005 at the latest (some kind of calendar calculation thing). At the time I was told this back in May of 2005 I told my buddy: "Hey man listen, it's time for you to start living. Live it up! Be with your family, sell, sell, sell, and travel. Don't worry about your worldly possessions, they will not exist past October. By the way, what are you going to do with all your tools?"

Needless to say, his faith wasn't that as strong as he put on. He stayed on the job, continued to pay his bills, didn't go out and open new lines of credit. He stuck it out and I'm happy to report he and his family are still here on Earth today.

I pocketed a sweet $5 dollars from our bet that I would see him at the 2005 Christmas party!

No only is it a lawsuit (none / 0) (#5)
by robotalk on Tue May 08, 2007 at 12:25:23 AM EST

It's a good lawsuit. Malpractice and Negligent Misrepresentation. Next time the doctor will be a little more sure when s/he tells someone he's going to die. That's a pretty awful mistake to make, don't you think?

Its a lousy lawsuit. The California Supreme Ct. (none / 0) (#26)
by oculus on Tue May 08, 2007 at 01:49:23 PM EST

sd. "no duty" to a man who asked his doctor how long he had to live. The dr. overestimated. The man died. His estate sued on the theory that, had the dr. gotten it right, the man would have had the opportunity to properly manage his investments, leaving them more money.


Wrong analogy. (none / 0) (#29)
by nolo on Tue May 08, 2007 at 02:10:38 PM EST

I'm not sure about California, but lots of states allow claims for false diagnosis. The problem in this guy's case is going to be that the available damages are your emotional distress over having been diagnosed (albeit mistakenly) with a terminal illness. If this guy's reaction to the diagnosis was to quit his job and go have a party, he's going to have a hard time convincing a jury that he was all that bummed out.


: Missed diagnosis, sure. But where the correct (none / 0) (