http://jeffreymiron.com/2010/09/should-accident-victims-pay-for-their-rescues/ Libertarianism A to Z Sun, 06 May 2012 22:53:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://jeffreymiron.com/2010/09/should-accident-victims-pay-for-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-2117 Jess Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:55:06 +0000 http://jeffreymiron.com/?p=1619#comment-2117 The main problem I see with fire departments levying "rescue" fees of this sort is that it gives them an unhealthy interest in vigilantly attending the scene of every fender bender. Much like the police department and prosecutor "entrepreneurialism" documented by <a href="http://www.theagitator.com/" rel="nofollow">Radley Balko</a>, the "customer" in this case had no option to decline service, so we can be sure that we'll see more of this abusive behavior. Somehow I suspect that there would be closer scrutiny of this practice if the fire departments implementing it were private rather than state-owned. <b>If</b> we are to believe that there are benefits to living under the thumb of a state, surely one of those benefits can be fire and police departments that can do their own budgeting for legitimate operating expenses? The main problem I see with fire departments levying “rescue” fees of this sort is that it gives them an unhealthy interest in vigilantly attending the scene of every fender bender. Much like the police department and prosecutor “entrepreneurialism” documented by Radley Balko, the “customer” in this case had no option to decline service, so we can be sure that we’ll see more of this abusive behavior. Somehow I suspect that there would be closer scrutiny of this practice if the fire departments implementing it were private rather than state-owned. If we are to believe that there are benefits to living under the thumb of a state, surely one of those benefits can be fire and police departments that can do their own budgeting for legitimate operating expenses?

]]> http://jeffreymiron.com/2010/09/should-accident-victims-pay-for-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-2110 ElGreco Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:43:10 +0000 http://jeffreymiron.com/?p=1619#comment-2110 Scooter driver, car driver, and everyone else has been obligated to buy the mandatory once zero deductible rescue and emergency insurance. Not surprisingly, we now all bicker what this insurance monopoly should and should not cover, what is and what is not deductible and by how much, how much is the copay and what behaviors are ultimately “acceptable” in terms of the risks they carry… Scooter driver, car driver, and everyone else has been obligated to buy the mandatory once zero deductible rescue and emergency insurance. Not surprisingly, we now all bicker what this insurance monopoly should and should not cover, what is and what is not deductible and by how much, how much is the copay and what behaviors are ultimately “acceptable” in terms of the risks they carry…

]]> http://jeffreymiron.com/2010/09/should-accident-victims-pay-for-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-2108 Livin' on the Edge Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:52:18 +0000 http://jeffreymiron.com/?p=1619#comment-2108 I usually agree with you Professor, but in this case I don't understand why "rescue" charges should be any different from any other type of contractual agreement? For instance, any damage the car caused the scooter would have to be paid for by the scooter driver and then the scooter driver could sue the car driver and a judge would determine levels of liability. Why can't the scooter driver just sue the car driver for the rescue charges and allow a judge to determine levels of liability? It doesn't seem to me to be the role of the fire department to decide whose fault the accident was and who should foot the bill on a per accident basis. That seems to be the role of a judge. I usually agree with you Professor, but in this case I don’t understand why “rescue” charges should be any different from any other type of contractual agreement? For instance, any damage the car caused the scooter would have to be paid for by the scooter driver and then the scooter driver could sue the car driver and a judge would determine levels of liability. Why can’t the scooter driver just sue the car driver for the rescue charges and allow a judge to determine levels of liability? It doesn’t seem to me to be the role of the fire department to decide whose fault the accident was and who should foot the bill on a per accident basis. That seems to be the role of a judge.

]]>