Suing People in Panama


Suing People in Panama

(5 votes)

Written by Matt Landau

Monday, August 13 2007

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I hadn't been in the States for more than one hour when I noticed a sign clearly displayed on the way to baggage claim: Caution, this sign read. Please Watch Out! Glass door is transparent. In case you needed it, the sign had been translated to Spanish as well, proving to me that thankfully, stupidity in the USA is not limited only to English-speakers.

A few days later during the same trip, I was watching TV with some friends in upstate New York when a commercial for a popular board game aired. It was a mystery game in which players had to eliminate suspects with names like Frans and Bernard by flipping over a collection of faces until the secret person chosen by your opponent had been revealed. At the end of the commercial, a quickly-spoken man came. "Warning: Actual game pieces do not talk." Well shit, I thought to myself, I thought they were onto something here.

You see, we as Americans have become so paranoid of legal repercussions--whether they arise from walking into a translucent glass door or expecting a board game to carry a decent conversation--that even the most obvious of things now have to be stated, and stated clearly. In Panama though, I take pleasure in knowing that this paranoia does not exist, and for good reason.

Unlike the United States who practices Common Law, Panama exercises Napoleonic or Civil Law. It basically means that if you do something stupid--like walk into a glass door or buy a board game purely on magical merits--you are responsible and there's no pathetic excuse of putting the blame on anyone else. It is a law that is interpreted rather than developed by judges. Civil law is the most widespread in the world, and as a result, Americans come off as looking brainless with a constant need to state the obvious.

It's really quite simple. If you're walking down the street in Panama, as I often do, and see the fallen branch from a large palm tree dangling over slacked power lines, don't touch it! If you think some street food looks moldy and salmonella-like, easy, don't eat it! Thing is, you can't really sue people in Panama: it'll either be too expensive, take too long, or be subject to some sort of corruption. Try bringing your photos of the shoddy street meat or medical records of your terrible stomach ache thereafter. You haven't got a chance.

The implications here with real estate though are somewhat unsettling. Truth is, attempting to sue a developer or other big name firm will get you nowhere. So be careful with your money, choose your lawyers wisely, and watch out for translucent glass.

Comments (2)

jeffb: Great article

Thanks for the great article. It's so very true. My favorites are the two pages of 6 point type that follows every new drug advertisement in magazines and newspapers (here in the US).

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August 13, 2007

Budd: Law? What Law?

Your article describes one of the most difficult concepts to explain to newly arriving expats in Panama. "It is a law that is interpreted..." Exactly. And you better be able to find someone that can get it interpreted in your favor. That takes money and connections. If you've got that, you're home free. If not, you're swimming with sharks and had better start walking on water.

August 13, 2007

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