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Monday, November 1. 1976
University Daily Kansan
Product claims raise premiums
By MICHAEL KING
If the question of who is liable for product failure isn't solved, it could result in inflated costs for consumer goods, no new products released to the market, and poor technology, James Palmer said Friday.
Palmer, a broker with the Haas and Wilkerson Insurance Agency in Kansas City. Mo., was moderator of a panel discussion of product liability sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Business.
Palmer said the number of product
2 requests go to Senate
Supplemental budget requests of $8,260 from the International Club and $2,911 from the KU Ice Hockey Club were accepted by the University and Auditing Committee last month.
The two requests will be sent to the full Senate for final consideration and approval at a later date.
The finance committee accepted the requests for fiscal 1977 without cuts after hearing formal budget presentations by both of the clubs.
Funding for both clubs had been denied earlier this fall by Senate committees that said that the large amounts requested weren't properly justified.
The International Club requested money for office supplies, printing, advertising, rental film and cultural program expenses. The KU Ice Hockey Club request was for office advertising, long distance telephone calls, wages for officials and ice rink rental.
liability insurance claims was up 400 per cent since 1967.
"Perhaps consumer have an unrealistic expectation of product performance," he said.
"OR MAY THERE needs to be a change in the 1897 tort law putting liability on both the seller and the manufacturer." Homer Cowan Jr., assistant secretary of the Western Insurance Companies, said the original tort law made it an actionable tort to sell or manufacture products that were either "defective or unreasonably unsafe.
"But something funny happened on the way to the courthouse, called interpretive torts and they ignored the 'defective and unreasonably unsafe.' Cowen said.
HE SAID this type of "expansion law," coupled with the high awards for punitive damages, had destroyed the cornerstone of insurance in America.
Cowan also criticized the statute of limitations, saying that it allowed too many years to pass between the actual injury and the filing of a complaint. He suggested a limitation of four years from when the injury occurred.
Under current Kansas law the limitation is two years from the time the injury becomes known, and a maximum of 10 days resulting from the use of a defective product.
PAUL MILLER, president of the Centennial Life Insurance Company of Kansas City, Mo., blamed the torts system for the increase in lawsuits, the premiums and the increase in lawsuits.
Miller said that there needed to be a complete "review and revamp" of the torts system and that punitive damages shouldn't be given to the injured party.
Miller said one possible solution to the product liability problem was to instill pride in the brand.
On Campus
TODAY: GENERAL MOTORISTS will present transportation exhibits from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., in the Civil Engineering Lab in Learned Hall, NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS will meet at 11:30 a.m. in Alcove E of the Kansas Union, A TOWN MEETING will be presented by General Motors at 2 p.m. in Hoch Auditorium.
TONIGHT: THE JAYHAWK COLLEGE QIZ BOWL will be at 7 in the Forum, Council and Walnut rooms of the Union. The SUCH CHESS CLUB will meet at 7 in the Room 102 and the PHILOSOPHY CLUB will meet at 19th ST. THETA TAU will meet at 7:30 in the Pine Room of the Union. The UNDERGRADUATE PHILOSOPHY CLUB will meet at 8 in the International Room of the Union. The meeting will feature an open debate between Arthur Skidmore, professor of philosophy, and Peter Thompson, associate professor of painting and sculpture.
TOMORROW: THE UNIVERSITY SENATE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE will meet at noon in Alove B of the Union. TAU SGIMA will offer a class on ballet at 7 p.m. in 220 Robinson. TZVETNAT TODOROV, of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Littures, will speak on the "Origin of Literary Genres," a part of the course "Introduction to Poetry" co-drafted Auditorium.
THE UNIVERSITY SINGERS, KU's freshman chair, will present their annual fall concert at 8 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy.
ANOTHER POSSIBLE solution, he said, would be to combine insurance rating classes: lawyer's malpractice, physician's malpractice and product liability.
"This could be done if aused manufacturer could then turn around and sue the union of the employee who did the poor work."
State Rep. David Heinemann, R-Garden City, vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and an attorney, said that insurance agencies should look to themselves for the problems before complaining about lawyers and law suits.
"That way lawyers might be a little less eager to冲 clams." Miller said.
Heinemann said that Miller and Cowan were misleading the audience because there seldom were any punitive damages awarded in Kansas.
--pay tuition, textbooks, lab fees,
pay off student loans, offer a debt
month. The program leads to an Air Force
program that equips airmen with
challenge, challenging work (with
examples such as flying the world),
promotes reason, ability, graduate education and
education.
Events
We need certain college majors to become Air Force lieutenants.
Mechanical and civil engineering aerospace and aeronautical engineering electronics computer science The Air Force is looking for men and women with academic majors such as these if you're not a college graduate you may be eligible for either the two-year or the four-year Air Force help with the college bills, two, three and four year school students are available.
Sphimeros interested in the two year program should contact Cagnabo J. B. Macleen, Science Military Blond, Room 168, or call 644-7447.
Find out today about an Air Force ROTC scholarship. It's a great way to leave your country and to help pay for your college education.
Baby dies in blaze Saturday
Air Force ROTC-Gateway to a Great Way of Life
A 10-month-old baby girl was killed and her mother seriously burned Saturday night when fire destroyed their home at 2305 Haskell Ave.
The mother, Shirley Droward, 22, a student at Haskell Indian Junior College, was taken to the KU Medical Center for treatment. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Mrs. Richard Anderson, owner of the house, said yesterday that the victims had been locked up.
The fire, reported at 11:30 p.m., caused an estimate of $2,000 damage to the house and land.
The Crewel Cupboard
Now We Are Six Birthday Sale
6 years in business . . . growing and going strong
Yarn Specials
Icelandic Lopi — reg. $2.90 now $2.20
Les Saisons Shetland — reg. $1.95 now $1.10
Apollo Thick 'N Thin — reg. $2.50 now $1.50
Silverflake baby yarn — reg. 85+ now 70+
Needlepoint and Crewel Specials
"Kit Little" Needlepoints — 1/3 off
Needlepointers kits — reg. *4.50 now *4.00
All Christmas kits — 10% off
"Holly Hobbie" crewel kits — 1/2 price
Select group painted canwasses — 1/2 price
Select group crewel kits — up to 75% off
Odds 'N Ends Specials
All hardback books - 10% off
Unfinished frames - 5x5 & 5x7 reg. $2.00
are now $1.50
Knitting tote bags - reg. $7.50 now $6.50
Quilt hoops - 10% off
Quilt hoops - 10% off
10*10" walnut finish frames - reg. *5.00 now *3.50
10-5 Mon.-Sat. 841-2656 15 E. 8th St.
INDEPENDENTS DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS
If a major concern is adequate funding for the University of Kansas.
THINK!
We've had three good years. The legislature fulfilled a commitment. University students, faculty, staff have done a great job in building the University image yet many legislators have other priorities for tax money. It won't be so easy in '77.
Senator ARDEN BOOTH has 6 years experience in the Senate. He's bridged gaps between Democrats and Republicans, and between rural and urban areas. He's a leader. He gets things done. He listens and is listened to. He'll get adequate funding for the University.
This is no time to send to Topeka an inexperienced person of the minority party. If a major concern is adequate funding for the University:
X VOTE X TUESDAY
X ARDEN BOOTH X
X SENATOR X
Paid for by the Return Booth Committee.