Political Quotes

“Let me try one other approach to this subject because it applies equally to the two subsections of this section. The whole concept of many of these damages, especially punitive damages, is a concept that is based on a company doing something wrong--in our case, and from some of the definitions, egregiously wrong. It is based on negligence or gross negligence. When a State or a given organization is subject to a standard of strict liability, it is liable for all of the damages that it causes to an individual--in this case, using whatever it is that the company produces, regardless of whether it is negligent or not. It may have engaged in the highest standard of safety available for such an organization. Yet, a legislature or a Congress has determined that, for some reason or another, the whole cost, all of the damages created by that organization, ought to be imposed on the organization, without regard to its having done anything wrong. That is what strict liability means.”