Is it possible to sue Intel if you need ~30% more web servers because Intel built faulty processors? The argument would be that you had bought AMD if you had known about the flaw.
Meta question: Why is everyone so eager and trigger-happy to sue these days? It seems like awful attrition on both humans and the economy. Has this always been the case? Or has it truly exploded in the last 50-70 years (which is my assumption)?
They aren't. Most of what you hear about people being "eager and trigger-happy to sue these days" is due to two factors.
First, the US has weak consumer protection agencies, which means when a company does do something wrong, the only effective resolution is through the civil court system.
Second, companies hate class-action lawsuits and have spent decades promoting the idea that people sue too much and that the court system is full of frivolous cases.
Remember, most people can't afford a lawsuit. It's very expensive, and there's always the chance of failing. Class-action lawsuits are the only way to make it practical when a company actually does something seriously negligent.
Which is why companies don't like it. What they really want is to minimize consumer protections. Hence the trend to switch customers to mandatory arbitration, which keep people from being able to file class-action lawsuit. Hence laws like the Texas damage caps, which make it easier for a company to carry out grossly negligent practices with out worrying about punitive damages.
And why they publish lists of "outrageous" court filings. They want people like you to think it's a problem, so be biased against lawsuits and those who file for lawsuits.
