| Marianne loved her cat more than anything else in the | | | | himself at the forefront. |
| world. After her divorce her cat was all she had to | | | | Marianne was not so sure about this, as she was still |
| show for her 15 years of love and devotion to her | | | | sick that she lost her cat. Theodore was all she had |
| husband who ran off with a younger woman. Well, her | | | | left, and now he was gone, she didn't really want to |
| cat and also her beautiful home on the cliffs | | | | sue for money, she didn't really know what she |
| overlooking the California coast and beach below. | | | | wanted, no amount of money would be bring |
| Although she was in her early 40s, she was still very | | | | Theodore back. The attorney figured that in the future |
| beautiful, tone, and took care of herself. It was far too | | | | finished products liability lawsuits for personal tech |
| soon to start dating again, and so she stayed home all | | | | robotics used for in-home elderly care would be a |
| day, did her exercises, her art, watched her favorite | | | | huge business and this was just a lucky break needed. |
| television shows, and snuggled up with her cat, which | | | | He knew the jury would eat it up, and even though it |
| her husband had named "Theodore" and her cat | | | | was only a cat, and he'd hoped he could find his first |
| seemed to like the name, and she didn't have the heart | | | | case where a robot had caused the unexpected, |
| to change it. | | | | untimely, and unfortunate death of an actual human, |
| It was that time of year again, Theodore was | | | | this could work out nicely, he thought. Once he gets |
| shedding fur ever so slightly, and Marianne was | | | | this case law on the books for the cat case, and if |
| cleaning the hair off the sofa in the living room with a | | | | there was a sizable monetary award, he'd be halfway |
| brush. The cat loved to play when she did that, | | | | home in the future filing a wrongful death case for a |
| attacking her hand and the brush, but she hadn't | | | | human. |
| trimmed his claws lately, so she put the cat outside on | | | | The case took a couple of years, and Marianne was |
| the beautiful redwood patio which extended from the | | | | perfect, she cried on the witness stand about how the |
| back of our house over the cliff, where it was on stilts. | | | | robotic vacuum cleaner, which was once the cat's |
| The cat's favorite play toy was actually a robotic | | | | favorite toy, attacked it, and killed her beautiful and |
| vacuum cleaner, and so she put the robotic vacuum | | | | wonderful Theodore, how she watched in horror as |
| cleaner out with the cat knowing that it couldn't fall off | | | | her cat fell to the rocks below. The jury awarded half |
| the patio to the rocks hundreds of feet below, | | | | million dollars. The judgment shocked the robotic |
| because her husband had installed a kickboard which | | | | community, and almost overnight insurance companies |
| was a good six or 8 inches high around the perimeter. | | | | raised premiums for finished products liability insurance |
| The house was absolutely gorgeous and it had been in | | | | by 150% for all robotics manufactures. |
| a couple of designer magazines and even | | | | This caused a ripple effect, as all the companies |
| Architectural Digest Magazine many years the prior. | | | | providing robotic in-home elderly care units immediately |
| The cat just looked at her funny when she put him | | | | raised their prices, which also ended up costing the |
| outside because she always went out there with him, | | | | already nearly bankrupt Medicare system, as |
| when she read a book or sunbathed. Theodore stood | | | | Congress a year earlier had put in provisions to pay |
| at the sliding glass door for a few moments watching | | | | for voice activated and speech recognition |
| her on the couch brushing the hair. The robotic vacuum | | | | wheelchairs, military amputee mind controlled |
| was busy going back and forth, and Theodore wasn't | | | | prosthesis, and robotic personal assistants for home |
| that interested in playing with it at first. | | | | ridden elderly seniors with serious ailments or who |
| But eventually, her cat started to chase around, stalk it, | | | | were physically challenged. |
| and then pounce. Once Marianne was completed | | | | Many startup robotic companies had trouble getting |
| brushing the couch, she poured herself some iced tea | | | | venture capital funding, angel investors, or even the |
| and went over to the window to watch her cat play | | | | finished products liability insurance they needed to sell |
| with his favorite robot toy. Theodore looked up and | | | | their products after that. Large high-tech retailers |
| saw her standing in the glass, and wasn't paying | | | | demanded to be additionally insured on the insurance |
| attention as the vacuum cleaner zoomed toward him. | | | | policies, and would take no less than $10 million |
| At the last minute, when it touched one of his front | | | | aggregate on the policies for the products that these |
| paws, he jumped up, and backwards right in between | | | | robotic manufacturing companies produced. |
| two of the upright redwood columns holding the railing | | | | The Silicon Valley attorney became very famous and |
| and over the edge he fell. Marianne started screaming, | | | | is often cited in the American Bar Association Journal, |
| she didn't know what to do, there was no way to go | | | | the futurist magazines, and in other popular high-tech |
| down to the rocks below without hiking a good half a | | | | and science magazines. Marianne did not get all the |
| mile around where there was a little trail to get to | | | | money from the huge award, 45% went to the |
| where Theodore was lying on the rocks below. | | | | attorney, and she ended up giving another 15% of the |
| She didn't know if he was alive or dead, but nothing | | | | difference to a company which specialized in |
| could survive that long of a drop. When she finally did | | | | "structured settlements" and Marianne still cried every |
| reach Theodore her worst fears were confirmed. | | | | night for many months. By the time she finally did |
| There was nothing she could do, she was so angry | | | | receive her money, well over a year and a half later |
| when she got back up to her house she picked up the | | | | she didn't even care. |
| robotic vacuum cleaner which was still bouncing | | | | "Theodore VS Robotic Automaton Vacuum |
| around the patio and she hurled it off the patio as far | | | | Manufacturing LLC (RAVM LLC)" in 2012 turned out to |
| she could throw it and watched it crash on the rocks | | | | be the case law that started it all. Today, high-tech |
| below breaking into 1000 pieces. | | | | lawyers, and class action attorneys rule the robotics |
| Her friend and confidante next door gave her the | | | | industry. Some believe that this is what is now stifling |
| phone number of an attorney that specialized in | | | | jobs in America during this recession and preventing |
| high-tech in Silicon Valley. Her friend convinced her to | | | | US companies from competing in the global robotics |
| talk to him about suing the robotic manufacture. It turns | | | | market here in 2025. Many academic law professors |
| out that this high-tech attorney was looking for a case | | | | believe that this is the case that started it all, but |
| where a robot had seriously maimed, or killed a human. | | | | believe that robotics companies must be held |
| The attorney was hoping to cash in on the future of | | | | accountable for injuries of humans or household |
| robotics in America, and file a large class-action | | | | deaths from faulty engineering or negligence. |
| "finished products liability" claim. Marianne was just | | | | *** Note: this story came to me after reading an |
| what he needed, and being an innovative attorney | | | | interesting article online about the future of robotic law. |
| himself he was figuring out how he could position | | | | "Scientists, lawyers mull effects of home robots" By |
| himself to ride the future wave of robotic artificially | | | | Brooke Donald (AP) - Dec 6, 2009. |
| intelligent androids and establish new case law putting | | | | |