It's unfair to say all lawyers are greedy scum robbing our nation of needed wealth and destroying the things that made America great. OK, not all the lawyers. But USA Today gives a good place to start with its front-page piece on the money sought by trial lawyers and "victims" of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
According to the paper, there were 247 individual filings against the Army Corps of Engineers for more than $1 billion. "One claim alone seeks $3 quadrillion in damages," wrote Brad Heath. You heard that right. That's "a 3 followed by 15 zeros - about 250 times the nation's gross domestic product." That even tops John Edwards' kind of money.
Another claim was a mere piker by comparison - seeking $6 trillion, or just half of annual U.S. GDP. The claims blame the Corps for the storms wrecking havoc on Louisiana. There are 489,000 claims in all. But the article notes that the two hurricanes caused about $100 billion in physical damage and the federal government has already dedicated "more than $130 billion on recovery from the hurricanes."
Just another way trial lawyers like Edwards do their part to make America great. And though Shakespeare didn't really want to kill all the lawyers, it does make ones mind wander.
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Comments Policy
Why SHOULDN'T they ask for jackpots?
January 7, 2008 - 12:25 ET by sarcasmoRule 11 sure as hell isn't enforced whenever they do, which is but one reason I have such great "respect" for the law & lawyers these days. As ye sow, so shall ye reap...
JMR
Rally online with fans of Dr. Ron Paul. (All purpose anti-slander-link, sadly-needed these days...)
Sue, yes....but whom to sue
January 7, 2008 - 12:29 ET by WildBillI think they should sue the liberal democrats that were in charge of all that mess. Howz come nobody else has in the Gulf has these problems. Other cities completely wiped out by Katrina, were totally rebuilt in just one year. Oh, that's right, they had Republicans in charge!
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged." -Abraham Lincoln
ouch
January 7, 2008 - 12:39 ET by Jason AslingerThere are good people - and bad apples in every demographic. The legal field is no exception. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself!
I have already filed a suit
January 7, 2008 - 12:40 ET by Roger the ShrubberI have already filed a suit against Hollywood for forcing me to watch celebrity after celebrity pretend to care. If I win, I will gladly share the 16 kajinabazillion Quatloos I will win.
Kudos for the Quatloos
January 7, 2008 - 12:56 ET by Dan GainorKudos for the Quatloos reference. Not sure what the exchange rate is for those these days. With Trek off air, it can't be good.
Amazing Dan.
January 7, 2008 - 14:00 ET by Gary HallFor the record, a bit of information, which our MSM continues to censor from the US voter. In the view of the media, we must not find out about the generosity of this federal government, and it's historic aid to the folks who lost so much in Katrina and Rita.
According to the "Road Home" site (the state agency set up to administer and distribute billions of $'s in Federal grant money (not loans - tax free grants, mind you), 129,551 people in Louisiana have now received their checks. The average check is in the amount of $62,192 - each. These grants from the Federal Government (I'm sure Bush is not a part of our federal government which is so generous - kidding) are in addition to any FEMA or private insurance monies these homeowners have already received.
I trust that someone out there can find one single instance in which the mainstream media has fairly and accurately reported on this program. I've yet to see one. What one can find is: ..."they've done nothing for us -- they don't care about us -- Bush hates black people."
More on Roadhome.
January 8, 2008 - 11:54 ET by rpkinmdWhat you say is true, absolutely true. A large percentage of that money went to uninsured and underinsured property owners. If you had the foresight to have protected yourself with insurance two things happened; your insurance checks did not cover the costs of rebuilding and you did not receive any grant money from The Roadhome. In my case I spent just under $58,000 more than my insurance checks to restore my property. The list of what flood insurance does not cover is extensive. And while my homeowners company was very generous they did not cover all the cost of repairing, like the $9000 deductible. I would not even mention it except once again if you are responsible, do the right thing, you are labeled good enough to pay for the program but ineligible for any benefits.
Don't Kill Them - Import More Of Them
January 7, 2008 - 14:28 ET by zeestephenSince I oppose the death penalty, I must disagree. I suggest we open our borders to any foreign lawyer who wants to come here. In fact, let's set a national goal of 100,000 new immigrant lawyers per month for the next ten years. President Bush can announce this new enlightened policy at Harvard Law School where graduating students who can't find jobs will cheer him wildly. In my mind's eye I see a savage Darwinian competition where lawyers fight each other to extinction.
I want to throw up every
January 7, 2008 - 19:11 ET by ReformedLib Re-FormedConI want to throw up every time I drive over the Claiborne bridge and see all the pink houses that Brad Pitt is setting up. Yeah, I know it's not just him, but he's their face. Pretty as that face may be, it's an exercise in futility. Anyone ever been back in the 9th? It was dilapidated when I was a kid. The parts that have not been taken over by the pink houses are still dilapidated. In all fairness, most of what has gone on has not been fair. People filing lawsuits for millions over houses that I wouldn't have let my dog sleep in. People getting thousands and thousands and thousands and not doing anything to improve their lives with it. Or, more importantly, the lives of their children. Just more bee-ess and wastefulness. I totally understand America's frustration with New Orleans. I lived there, and I'm frustrated as hell by a lot of what I see. It's greed, pure and simple. The attitude of getting what's mine as well as what I think should be mine no matter what. I have a lawsuit against FEMA (Fluor to be exact) because they damaged my home after the fact. 8k in wiring damages that they've admitted to but won't pay. Am I asking for 12 million for it? No, I just want what is RIGHTFULLY mine.
Not everyone down here is a deadbeat or a leech, it's just that those are the only ones who have all the free time in the world (because they're not working) to do interviews and go to bogus rallies and stand in line all day to get a donut and a dollar. You don't see the hardworking people who are actually contributing because we're too busy doing just that.
We're so outnumbered that it's depressing.
My condolences
January 7, 2008 - 21:32 ET by Redrowan2000I read your comment and it makes me sick too. you hit the nail on the head about the hardworking people being thrown in with the crocodile tear scum with their hands out. The people who have legitimate claims are also hurt by these bottom feeders, but don't forget their enablers, the vermin sucking lawyers and liberal judges that encourage them to work the system. Just like they encourage the criminals and illegals to work the system. Yeah sure "go for it" those stupid middle class Americans work very hard to support their kids why not yours too?
Red