Seven US cities, all run by Democrats, have filed a lawsuit against Korean car companies Kia and Hyundai for making their cars too easy to steal. The cities allege that the car companies failed to equip their vehicles with the technology that would prevent cars from starting without a key. Instead of cracking down on car thieves, the cities have decided to crack down on car companies. Kia and Hyundai have settled for $200m, most of which will go to people whose cars were stolen. The Wall Street Journal criticised the lawsuit and suggested targeting the criminals rather than what they steal.
In light of the recent news by a recent article on The Hill, seven U.S. cities run by Democrats have filed a lawsuit against Korean car companies Kia and Hyundai for the alleged crime of making their cars too easy to steal. The cities claim that the car companies failed to equip their vehicles with the kind of technology that would prevent cars from starting without a key, and videos on TikTok allegedly showed how easy it is to steal a Kia or a Hyundai.
Instead of cracking down on car thieves, the cities decided it was easier to crack down on car companies. Baltimore, St. Louis, Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee, Seattle, and New York City are demanding that Kia and Hyundai pay damages for “public nuisances” resulting from auto thefts. The lawsuit claims that vehicle theft poses a serious threat to public safety, causing injuries and death, increased violence, consuming scarce law enforcement and emergency res, and depriving the public of safe streets and sidewalks.
The Wall Street Journal injected a note of sanity into this craziness by stating that it’s nice to hear progressive cities say they care about crime, but how about targeting the criminals rather than what they steal? However, Kia and Hyundai settled for $200 million, with most of the money going to people whose cars were stolen.
This lawsuit is a prime example of how in the United States of Litigation, anybody can sue anybody for just about anything. It’s also a sign of the times where blaming criminals for stealing cars is not as popular as blaming car companies for making cars that are supposedly too easy to steal.
It’s unclear where this thinking will lead us, but it raises the question of whether progressive cities will sue drug store chains for their role in the opioid epidemic or fast-food chains for contributing to obesity. It’s a slippery slope that could lead to an endless cycle of lawsuits against businesses.
Instead of blaming businesses for crimes committed by individuals, it’s important to hold individuals accountable for their actions. Targeting businesses for the actions of criminals is not the answer. The focus should be on preventing crime and punishing those who commit crimes.
Taking everything into account, the Kia and Hyundai lawsuit is a prime example of how the United States of Litigation has become a place where anybody can sue anybody for just about anything. Rather than targeting criminals for stealing cars, progressive cities decided to target car companies instead. This is a slippery slope that could lead to endless lawsuits against businesses. The focus should be on preventing crime and punishing those who commit crimes, not blaming businesses for the actions of criminals.
