I miss the halcyon days when people were actually held accountable for their own actions. Alas, today, people can do whatever they want and when it comes time to pay the piper for their behavior, they can just sue someone else.

Take for example the case of Betty Bullock.

Betty died of lung cancer in 2003 at the age of 64. She had been a longtime smoker, starting at the age of 17, starting with Marlboros and later turning to Benson & Hedges, both Philip Morris products.

That means she did not start smoking until well after the health risks of smoking became widely known. Less than 10 years after she started smoking, warnings were required on every cigarette package. Still, Betty ignored the warnings and continued to smoke.

But no matter in today’s legal climate.

In April 2001, Betty sued Philip Morris. In 2002, a jury awarded $750,000 in damages, $100,000 for pain and suffering and an unbelievable $28 billion in punitive damages.

That’s right, $28 billion.

All because Betty chose to ignore the warnings about the dangers of cigarettes.

A judge reduced the amount to a meager $28 million.

Last year, the 2nd U.S. District Court of Appeal reversed the jury decision on punitive damages.

On Monday, a jury in Los Angeles Superior Court issued a new verdict and awarded Betty’s daughter, Jodie Bullock, $13.8 million.

While much better than the $28 billion initially award, this $13.8 million sum is still phenomenal. This money is not for damages to Betty. This is an amount of money meant to punish the cigarette maker because Betty chose to smoke.

Betty had every right to smoke but she had no right to blame the maker of the cigarettes for her decision. She could have stopped at anytime but chose not to.

Welcome to the new America. Do what you want and then sue someone when your behavior gets you in trouble.