Should she sue boyfriend for injury?

DEAR AMY: My boyfriend, "David," and I are both 24 and have been dating for seven months. We met in graduate school, and we both have one more year to go as full-time, broke students. David has a glass table in his apartment with a jagged broken edge. Last month, as I walked past the table, I accidentally brushed against it and cut my leg, resulting in the need for six stitches in the ER. David felt bad, but he doesn't have any money, so there was no way he could offer to pay for my medical care. Despite my health insurance, the bill came today, and it was nearly $1,000. My parents paid for it, because they promised to cover all of my health care costs until I finish school. My mom says legally we could sue David because he shouldn't have a dangerous table in his house. Mom knows he doesn't have any money but is angry that he hasn't offered to pay for the cost. My boyfriend is generally a responsible person who cares about me. I am really depressed over this situation and don't know what to do. I really want to stay in this relationship. Are my parents right to be concerned about his character? Or should they cut him a break? Worried

DEAR WORRIED: Accidents happen. And the answer when you have an accident isn't always to sue someone, even if this is legally possible.

Your parents have stepped up and are fulfilling their agreement to cover your medical expenses -- and you should be grateful for that.

If "David" is the wonderful guy you say he is, then surely he could demonstrate this by forthrightly acknowledging what happened, apologizing again to you and communicating with your folks about how awful he feels about the burden this has placed on them.

A sincere apology can often derail a litigious impulse.

He also should assure everyone that he has done his utmost to eliminate hazards from his living space.