“The family of a 26-year-old man who died two years ago after an off-duty firefighter tried to rescue him from the edge of a roof will receive a financial settlement from The City, after claiming the firefighter was at fault.” Fire Lt. Victor Wyrsch tried to grab the suicidal Nick Torrico from the roof, but Torrico tore himself loose and fell to his death, and now the city’s taxpayers will pay Torrico’s family based on their contention that Wyrsch should have held back. (Beth Winegarner, “San Francisco pays up for failed rescue”, San Francisco Examiner, Aug. 26).
7 Comments
As much as I hate to say this isn’t that what they want. No responsibility. I lived in the Bay area for 5 years and nothing really sunrises me anymore.
But imagine how much larger the settlement would have been if the firefighter didn’t try to grab the guy…
These “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” lawsuits are ridiculous. But here the city is entirely at fault … they are at fault for accepting this settlement!!
But why not? It’s not like it’s their own money they are throwing around.
I agree w/Doug Carver – I am a Bay Area native, Berkeley no less, and I’m not surprised at all. There’s no such thing as personal responsibility here anymore. The court system in all our counties is one enormous joke with the WORST judges in the country; I doubt they even read cases before they ajudicate.
Doug,
“I lived in the Bay area for 5 years and nothing really sunrises me anymore.”
“Sunrises”? Is that the opposite of mooning?
YOU EXPECT LESS FROM “THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CALIFORNIA”??
This is one example of an overarching point. We need to infuse ourselves with the notin that people like this–firefighters, doctors, nurses–they don’t have to do this for a living. They don’t do it for the fabulous pay; even when the pay isn’t too low, these people are smart enough to make even more money doing other things. They do this, because they care.
So there is something ungrateful about such suits. you should say “thank you for trying.” instead we second guess, we sued, etc. its wrong. I don’t quite know how to infuse that attitude into our legal system, but that is the attitude we need to have.
And i say this as a lawyer, not as a member of those professions.
The firefighter is a hero for trying. He doesn’t deserve this treatment.
Has the city sent out the memo prohibiting this sort of behavior on the part of off-duty employees yet? Will it apply to just employees or does the city’s liablity extend to contrcators as well?
Any word from the unions about needing to be paid more for this new limitation on their members personal freedoms while off-duty? Or can they bill for time they spend NOT trying to save peoples lives when the opportunity presents itself?
WE must let no good deed go unpunished.