Consortium

In English Common Law, if a man’s wife is killed or injured, he has the grounds for a suit for damages for his loss of consortium. He deserves recompense under the law for the loss of his wife’s services. Originally, this was a man’s course of action. I’ve always thought that any guy worth his salt should do his utmost to provide services to the woman in his life.

I once went to a job interview about twenty-five years ago. The interviewer told me about a man who had suffered injuries that included a broken jaw. The jaw had been wired shut as the injury healed. The wife had filed suit for loss of consortium. The law firm defending the cause of action figured that they had to defend their client’s interest. The client, of course, did not want a huge settlement. They set up a deposition with the woman filing the suit. This woman did not know the meaning of embarrassment. She spent the better part of the afternoon describing why she was entitled to recompense as a result of loss of consortium. The attorneys of the defendant told their client that if the case got to a jury, any married women would go crazy. They convinced him to settle for a smaller amount than he would lose in a trial.

The guy who kept the transcript of the trial saved a copy for himself, in hopes it would help him with his own wife.

The moral of the story: Guys, pay attention to the needs of your woman, as it may pay off in the end.