Compensating victims is one of the reasons the court system exists. Unfortunately, there are people in this world that view victim-hood as a road to riches, and therefore are eager to scam the system into paying their way. Two of those such people are making a name for themselves in the aftermath of the recent apartment explosion in New York City.

 

According to the New York Post, Lucie Bauermeister and Anna Ramotowska have filed the first lawsuit over the tragedy that killed 2 and injured many more. The suit alleges the ladies were “severely injured, both physically and mentally” and seeks $40 million in damages.

 

Our issue with this claim? The ladies’ claims are questionable. As the Post further reports:

 

The two women had been living in an apartment at 129 Second Ave., which only sustained minimal damage. The building was reopened to tenants March 28, but Bauermeister complained that the “putrid” smell of smoke was too much to bear.

 

After the explosion, Ramatowska said she received “like, five or six scratches” when she went outside to inspect the blast site. Bauermeister didn’t suffer any physical injuries — but claimed she is seeing a $175-an-hour psychologist to deal with the trauma.

 

You can’t stop people from filing lawsuits like this, but you can discourage it. Many of the worst lawsuits are filed because the law incentivizes them. When the law encourages a disregard for personal responsibility, or allows uninjured parties and their attorneys to collect a windfall, people are going to take advantage of it. We must work to ensure that only truly injured parties are encouraged to litigate their disputes.