The American legal system is a beautiful thing. While certainly not a perfect system, it is the foundation of our great nation and the primary reason why America remains the most powerful and successful nation in all of human history.

Like any complex system, US law is susceptible to abuse. The most pathetic attempts to abuse our legal system come in the form of bullshit lawsuits. While the ability to sue people and organizations is an essential part of the system, there are entire industries designed to take advantage of this powerful right.

Exhibit A: Personal Injury Lawyers

On Wednesday afternoon, 14 college presidents from around the country spoke with the Trump admin about their needs and concerns regarding reopening their campuses for the Fall 2020 semester. Heather Wilson, President at the University of Texas at El Paso said they need “some kind of liability protection” from lawsuits related to the Coronavirus, according to insidehighered.com. Others on the call, as well as business leaders around the country, share her concerns.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans are working on a proposal to give businesses and schools confidence that they can begin reopening without ambiguous risk of legal liability.

“Many of us are very anxious to get back to some level of economic interaction and do it safely,” he said. “Can you imagine the nightmare that can unfold this fall if K-12 kids are still at home and colleges and universities are still not open? And that scenario is further aggravated in the absence of some kind of liability protection that reassures school administrators that they can open up again as long as they do it safely and follow the guidelines.”

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said “It could send a dangerous message [to businesses] that the safety of these workers is not their responsibility,”

It goes without saying that colleges are preparing major safety precautions as they consider a plan to reopen campuses. The problem is that there is no definition for the necessary steps to protect colleges from being held legally liable.

“There is no playbook. There are no established best practices, and this uncertainty is impacting our decisions,” said Larry Leroy Tyner Jr., Texas Christian University’s general counsel.

Just imagine the field day Glen Lerner would have with this level of ambiguity. This is an ambulance chaser’s wet dream and will be disastrous without clearly defined guidelines and liability protections. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be pissed if I can’t rage on campus next semester because some pathetic loser might get a cold and sue my school.

Wanna write for TFM? Details here