A big oil company was a defendant in a billion dollar lawsuit. The case hinged on the interpretation of a comma in a safety code for boilers and pressure vessel

A big oil company was a defendant in a billion dollar lawsuit. The case hinged on the interpretation of a comma in a safety code for boilers and pressure vessels, whether it meant "and" or "or". The expert witness' interpretation happened to be in the big oil company's favor because that was the intended meaning. When laws and safety codes are crafted, it's vital that they are expressed directly and unambiguously so there can be absolutely no doubt.