“Yesterday evening, a Southwest Airlines plane tried to land in bad weather at Midway Airport, but failed. It skidded past the runway, through a fence and into traffic on an adjacent road killing a six year old boy. In due time, it is almost certain that the boy’s family will bring a wrongful death suit against the airline.
“The success of that lawsuit will depend to a very great extent on whether a legal doctrine called res ipsa loquitur applies. More or less, what ‘res ipsa loquitur’ means, is that the people who caused the harm won’t be able to argue the ‘shit happens’ defense.”
Wash Park Prophet, who goes on at some length.