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True, but from what I understand, the party being sued is responsible for court costs, plus their own attorney fees. I know I can't afford all that foolishness. If you are injured in the commission of a crime, you should not be able to sue for injuries sustained as a result of your criminal action. Period. In fact, you should be arrested for the said criminal action that resulted in your being injured, and have to pay for any damages you caused.
In the UK (which is where the original article comes from), the usual rule in a civil lawsuit is that the loser pays the winner's attorneys' fees. That's not the general rule here in the U.S., although frivolous lawsuits can be subject to financial sanctions.
Again, I seriously doubt a burglar is going to be able to find a lawyer to sue on his behalf in a situation like this. It's not like the homeowner is setting up some kind of dart gun booby trap in their shed, after all. It's hardware cloth, for goodness sakes.
I think this is actually just another one of those junk "news" articles meant only to stir up the readership.
You'll be surprised at how many stupid cases make it to the courts. One story of a burglar falling through a skylight, landing in the kitchen on top of a knife block. He sued and won for injuries sustained AND LOSS OF EARNINGS!
It's just the way the UK law stands. If a burglar breaks into your house and trips on the stairs or stumbles over a rug, he can sue. That's the problem. He shouldn't have the right too. It's health and safety rules gone mad.
Fortunatly I left the UK and now live in a country where if someone breaks into my property, I can pretty much do whatever I want to protect myself and family. As long as I don't go overboard with it. No acid baths, or dismembering...shame really
