Edwards absent from debate on asbestos settlements

[sandorski]

Edwards is a Lawyer! What more proof do you guys need?

Just like Kerry's Military spending record, I'm sure Edward's Lawyerism is an airtight arguement showing how scummy those Demorats are.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: Riprorin

This is becoming circular. Here's the reference:

How is it circular? You specifically called him a "leading asbestos litigator," and stated he had personally earned $75M from asbestos litigation, neither of which is even colorably true.

Which I have acknowledged. He had settlements of $150 million in the 90's. I don't know how much he pocketed.

What are your thoughts about this quote:

"The trial lawyers know their compatriot well. Since his election to the Senate, Edwards has voted consistently with their interests ? against class-action reforms, against medical-malpractice reforms, against solutions to the asbestos bankruptcy crisis, even against proposed limitations on personal-injury lawsuits in the event of a terrorist attack."

Is opposing reform good for Amercians or just for trial attorneys?

And we know that the "reform" prescribed in the bills on which Edwards voted were what was best?

You are summarily criticizing him w/o even knowing what was in the bills.

You are reading from talking points, not the Congressional Record.

I'm not intimately familiar with the bill (nor are you I would imagine), but there has to be a better way than bankrupting 67 companies.

Why doesn't Edwards help to work out a solution rather than ducking debates on the topic?

You don't know he's been ducking debates. You're reading from a year-old website that is obviously slanted against Edwards.

Go do some research.

Educate yourself.

It would be pretty stupid to say he didn't participate in the discussions when he did. Something like that would be easy to disprove.

Since when has that stopped idiots on the right from making slams against their opponents?

Trial lawyers have contributed significantly to his campaign, there have even been allegation of illegal contribution. To think that he is not beholden to them is naive.

Links?

 

[LunarRay]

unintended post

 

[LunarRay]

Winston,

Perhaps a more useful way to approach this is the issue of tort reform itself. It seems that where it has occurred the results have been less than expected or indeed the reverse. Perhaps the underlining premise is faulty.

We need that avenue of redress against those entities or individuals that we allege have wronged us in some manner to remain fully intact IMO - with one modification I'll mention later.
Who are the folks yelling for tort reform if it isn't the very folks who perpetrated all manner of harm upon an unsuspecting public. Tobacco, Tires that explode, asbestos to poison us, chemicals that make babies have deformities and etc. and etc. The punitive aspect is just that IMO. Designed to punish the wrong doer.
The attorney who takes such cases does so based on the expectation of winning but, he may not nor may he always earn a reasonable fee for the time put in or earn nothing at all. Contingency bases fees are an incentive for him to work his butt off and it works. Many folks harmed could not pay an attorney to represent their interests in any other manner and these folks would be forced to settled for pennies, if anything.
Maybe a schedule of Award parameters might be in order with a multi digit multiplier for punitive if appropriate.
Asbestos Manufacturers ought to go out of business. They have provided poison for folks to breath and knew it to be poison all the while they made a profit. Surely they shouldn't be in business producing this substance. So what is the difference? I see none.
I'm a bit bitter over the DDT (agent orange) that was dropped on us, handled by us and consumed by us in the late 60's and early 70's. I've seen folks drink or eat food after we were doused by a wayward delivery. These manufacturers and our government fought tooth and nail to avoid any blame for what they knew was harmful to humans. Perhaps this makes me overly biased on the issue but, I do vote!