Posted On: April 27, 2006, 3:36 pm CDT

Posted By: mom

Your focus is too narrow. Try this one. A contractor and subcontractor who have done business before, don't follow the rules on a school project. Hundreds of teachers and children are affected. People are rushed to hospitals near death. But not everyone is impacted. Teachers go out on disability. Kids are missing more school than they can attend. Teen age boys are throwing up. Lots of spontaneous nose bleeds. Rashes, asthmatic attacks, chronic lung problems, extreme fatigue, etc. Both contractor and sub-contractor try to hush it up. It goes on for months before the item on the MSDS sheet comes to the attention of the community. Years later in court, there have been cancers, birth defects, people on disability, and on-going health limitations and a general lessening of quality of life. Both contractor and subcontractor guilty of same negligence resulting in the same injuries in several other municipalities, but that information is kept from the jury. However, plaintiffs have a long list of experts. Insurance lawyers have no defense, but they but on a good show citing the "frivolous" lawsuit defense, that having asthma is not so bad, making fun of the experts, etc. Jury agrees. Oh, they gave a few thousand to the kids. Not even enough to cover medical expenses, let alone court costs, and a life of limitations. Not even enough for a semester at college! Even the defense lawyers were stunned. They knew they didn't have a case, and they were outrageous in their statements – but they were more entertaining. And the kids didn't look sick. Can't see a chronic debilitating headache. I'm with Jeff. The terms "reform" and "frivolous" are not being used accurately. Truly injured people are much more likely to loose.