To answer Uncle DaveO's question (tune out if you don't give a shit about this thread drift)...Yeah, the idea was that since I was responsible as chief custodian for maintaining the school where said accident occurred, I would also be responsible for its contents.

I beat the suit with several little bits of logic, namely 1) the piano was teaching equipment not secured to the building and I wasn't actually responsible for teaching equipment unless specifically directed otherwise, 2) pianos were never mentioned in any policy, procedure, collective agreement, health and safety document or elsewhere verbally as my problem, 3) said piano had never been inventoried and may not actually have belonged to the employer, it did but at least they couldn't prove it, 4) my threatened countersuit and individual and policy grievances had the weight and will of the largest labour union in North America, 5) I could prove (after the fact) that the piano was improperly manufactured for regular moving and that the school board was responsible for safety 6) the buffoon who was really responsible had a group of students move the thing, and wasn't present when they tipped it over on one of their own feet, 7) I wasn't there, 8) I wasn't in charge of kids, 9) I hadn't worked there long enough to know squat, theoretically, 10) the other party tried to bully and bribe me into making a false statement, 11) I don't accept bullying well and the pricks picked the wrong guy to screw over...I pushed back.

I really did feel sorry for the suffering the kid endured, and supported any effort to fix the problems which led to the decapitation, but I wasn't responsible. In fact, I would have made a pretty good witness for the other side had they had any brains.

I bet that in the 15 years since, nothing much has changed, other than I got a better job.

Peace, Mooh.