Re: House arrest after killing cyclist in hit and run.

On 3/1/2025 11:59 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 3/1/2025 9:14 AM, AMuzi wrote:

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A few thousand years of human interaction (with laws, rules, customs, and case records) has resulted in some widely accepted general rules and this is one.
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For example, one application of that:
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https://everything2.com/title/Law+of+Gross+Tonnage
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"The heavier vessel always has the right-of-way.

 That obviously is not the case on roads, neither legally nor practically.
 

My point was that we do have a rich long history of statutes and both criminal and tort case law regarding responsibility, liability etc.
While evidence and testimony can be unclear and court decisions can appear random if not pernicious, there's a good general body of law so nothing new need be invented.
But in the moment, I am certainly not going to continue my legal right to cross an intersection riding through a green light if there is a speeding car about to enter on red.
 From link above:
"This law is regularly invoked in non-maritime situations, such as when a bicyclist with the right-of-way invokes the Law of Gross Tonnage to avoid the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) that is about to cut them off. "
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971