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05/24/2007: "Why We Hate Lawyers, Part II"
I've Is it just me, or would you like to kick this guy in the balls just as hard as you can? I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts that he approached the grieving family, offering his condolences and a business card. And when they called, rather than stating the obvious - their son effectively commited suicide - he told them the only way to truly honor their son's memory was to make those "responsible" pay.
Josh Hancock was a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. I say "was" because on April 29th, he drove into the back of a tow truck and was decapitated. He was drunk - twice the legal limit - and driving from one bar to another, speeding, chatting up some girl on the cellphone and not wearing his seat belt. Frankly, the only good news in the story was that Hancock was the only victim, since his irresponsible behavior could easily have taken other lives along with his own.
I feel for his family, and appreciate that they are having a difficult time adjusting to the death of their son. But rather than accept the fact that their son was absolutely responsible for all elements of his own death - several times over - they've decided the correct decision is to sue everyone involved. Naturally, there was a lawyer close by, creeping out of the ooze and ready to take on the case.The suit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court by Dean Hancock of Tupelo, Miss., does not specify damages. Mike Shannon's Restaurant, owned by the longtime Cardinals broadcaster who starred on three World Series teams in the 1960s, is a defendant in the case along with Shannon's daughter, Patricia Shannon Van Matre, the restaurant manager.
Other defendants include Eddie's Towing, the company whose flatbed tow truck was struck by Hancock's sport utility vehicle in the early hours of April 29; tow truck driver Jacob Edward Hargrove; and Justin Tolar, the driver whose stalled car on Interstate 64 was being assisted by Hargrove.
"It's understood that for the entire 3 1/2 hours that Josh Hancock was there that he was handed drinks," Keith Kantack, a lawyer for Dean Hancock, said. "It's our understanding that from the moment Josh Hancock entered Mike Shannon's that night that he was never without a drink."
The lawsuit claimed Tolar was negligent in allowing his Geo Prism to reach the point where it stalled on the highway, and for failing to move it out of the way of oncoming traffic. A police report said the Prism became stalled when it spun out after being cut off by another vehicle.
Police said Hargrove noticed the stalled vehicle and stopped to help. The report said he told officers he was there five to seven minutes before his truck was hit by Hancock's SUV. But Kantack said the tow truck may have been there up to 15 minutes, yet failed to get the stalled vehicle out of the way.
"Were the police contacted?" Kantack asked. "Why weren't flares put out? Why was the tow truck there for an exorbitant amount of time?"
Kantack, you pompous ass ... you make me want to vomit ... 
