The Eggshell Plaintiff

The Eggshell Plaintiff

By Susan F. Filan, Esq. | The Wake-Up Call Coach™

There’s a legal principle I’ve always loved—the “eggshell plaintiff” rule.
In tort law, it means you must take people as you find them. If someone has a fragile skull—or a fragile spirit—you are still responsible for the harm you cause, even if you didn’t know how breakable they were.

In other words: you don’t get to decide how much pain someone else should be in.

It’s not just law. It’s life.

We don’t know who’s strong. We don’t know who’s barely hanging on. We don’t know who will break—and when.

This principle has followed me from the courtroom to the coaching space.
It’s a constant reminder: be kind, be mindful, be human.

In High-Conflict Culture, Compassion is Rebellion

In our achievement-driven, conflict-fueled world, kindness is often mistaken for weakness. We’re taught to outwork, outmaneuver, and outlast—especially in crisis.

But I’ve lived long enough, and litigated long enough, to know:

“Take no prisoners” doesn’t work.
“Get even” never gets you peace.
And revenge is a dish best served cold… which really means: wait—and then don’t.

Peace Is the Power Move

Whether it’s a divorce, a breakdown, a betrayal, or a full-blown identity crisis—there is no winner when the goal is war.

She who has peace wins.

This doesn’t mean roll over or give up.

It means stand in your strength without needing to destroy.
It means protect your power without abandoning your values.
It means knowing who you are so deeply, you don’t need to prove it through pain.

The Wake-Up Call

When life cracks you open, you don’t need a battle plan.
You need a path forward. One built on clarity, courage, and truth.

That’s what I help my clients find.

Not victory.
Not vengeance.

Peace. Power. Reinvention.

Because once you stop fighting the wrong war, you can finally start building the right life.