New York City Woman Sued for Smoking by Neighbors in Her Building
Jump to full article: ABC News, 2008-04-04
Author: JOHN STOSSEL
Intro: Do you smoke? Well, you better be careful where. I don't smoke, and I don't like the smell, but what some people are doing to smokers makes me say give me a break.
Galila Huff was sued by her neighbor's who allege that the smell of smoke from her cigarettes enters the common space of the apartment...
"Without any question, the legal system has become a tool for bullying in this country," said Philip Howard, chair of the legal reform group Common Good. "And if you're a lawyer, and you don't have to go out and spend money for another lawyer, you can use it as a hammer."
"People think of lawsuits as kind of a neutral process & have your day in court," Howard said. "Being in a lawsuit is a traumatic event, and if someone sues you, for almost anything & it's just like a bludgeon. It changes your life. You can't sleep at night." . . .
This week, he sent Huff a settlement agreement with a new list of demands that she must meet if she hopes to get out from under his lawsuit. It includes one that says she will not seek any further publicity.
"I don't want to harm anyone. I'm trying not to smoke," Huff said. "But you know, I cannot do more than that. This is my demon, I'm a smoker. What can I do? I'm smoking for 40 years."
What can she do? Does she have to move? On Thursday night she agreed to his demands. Give me a break.
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