posted
It's like hitting the lottery....twice this year. I can claim my share of a class action lawsuit, all I have to do is fill out a 4 page form, (it has 6 pages of instructions). The payout...... $6.00. The attorney's fee for this suit were 220 million.
I can finally retire.
-------------------- Carper's Signs 594 Union School Rd. Mount Joy, PA 17552 carpersign@earthlink.net Posts: 157 | From: Lancaster, PA, USA | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
The only winners in these things are the attorneys. This is the result of cranking out 5 to 10 times the number of attorneys needed in our society.
What a screwed up profession.
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5398 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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if ya read the fine print you will see that the first few people that opened their mouth and contacted the lawyers actually get SOME money, im a membner of a class action suit againsst virtually all the car dealers in NJ and im entitled to $100 off the purchase of my next vehicle if I buy it within the next year. the originators of the suit reap the benefits of getting $2500.00 cash. its in the fine print of the documents I received in the mail. of course the lawyers get millions.
class action suits unfortunately are a necessity since it usually rights wrongs, but in my opinion unless it cost the class members major bucks, like in excess of thousands of dollars, then the people being sued should pay fines that could help pay for something else beneficial to the general public like maybe to aid in prevention or investigation of other crooked business practices. Instead of giving to the Class members since usually it forces them to spend more money to reap the benefits of the suit, ie: they dont really win.
eek, maybe I better be careful what I wish for, they might come after me for doing a sign someday.
-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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...I disagree Don. In my opinion any class action suit against CIGARETTE companies, gun and ammo manufacturers, and polluters are totally justified and necessary. How else can we hold these killers responsible?
...Whatever anybody thinks about lawyers is another subject.
-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
The attorneys get millions, you get 50¢. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that class action suits are scams set up by the attorneys to pad their pockets.
posted
if one entity harms an individual a LOT... & the cause of the harm is brought up for judgement... if found to be criminal, judgement may include a LOT of monetary compensation. Some may be awarded for actual damages... some may be punitive.
if one entity harms many individuals a little... & the cause of the harm is brought up for judgement... if found to be criminal, judgement may include a LOT of monetary compensation.
Although a lot of compensation divided by a lot of people may not add up to much... if (& thats a big IF) it is enough to actually deter further criminal harm, then it may serve one purpose other then padding the lawyers pockets
I think the intent of all penalties (sports, taxes, etc.) including legal judgements of punitive damages is to serve as a deterrant against future lawlessness.
I don't claim to think the results always fulfill the intent... but I do think our legal system is mostly based on sound ethics. The fact that lawyers sometimes get rich on these cases doesn't always negate a positive outcome regarding deterring future criminal action. I agree that it is often an unreasonable windfall profit for the lawyer & Harris brings up a good point that thousands of checks for $6.00 could be better spent on funding something that benefits society. If we could give up our $6 AND force the lawyers to give up there windfall.. we could have a deterrent AND a form of reparation or restitution to benefit society.
Maybe Judges should be allowed to award some damages that are subject to the lawyers fee percentages... & in addition, they can award punitive damages that are simply justified based on the crime, not on the efforts of the prosecution & therefore NOT subject to lawyers fee percentages, but instead 100% applied to funding a cause. (but what cause )
[ October 09, 2005, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Doug Allan ]
posted
Its easy to crap on the legal profession. but when you need a laywer to protect your interest against "the man" (whoever that may be), a good laywer is worth their weight in gold. Trust me... I know.
Dan
-------------------- Dan Marquis Marquis Signs Lewiston, Maine dan@marquissigns.com Posts: 118 | From: Lewiston, Maine, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
The suit was against Master Card for charging too much in fees to businesses for processing. I did not ask to be included, they just sent it to me.
If we need to have these lawsuits to right a wrong, why not make the lawyers who file gov't employees who are on the payroll and who do not get a percentage? Certain politicians want to bring our whole medical profession under govt. control, why not a small part of the legal profession?
-------------------- Carper's Signs 594 Union School Rd. Mount Joy, PA 17552 carpersign@earthlink.net Posts: 157 | From: Lancaster, PA, USA | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I had some equipment by means of a lease a few years back. Last week I got a check for .52 for a class action suit against GE Capitol Leasing. Hey Ron, reserve me a spot in the Bahamas next door to you. Be sure not to exceed my budget.
OK, on the other subject. I am not a smoker, but, smokers put the cigarette up to their mouth and inhale all on their own. It is nobody elses fault. Most smokers I know would agree with that.
Edited to add: I do not own a gun either, but guns do not kill, people do.
ok, flame away.
[ October 10, 2005, 11:35 AM: Message edited by: Rick Beisiegel ]
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3487 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Class Action Lawsuits and the Tort System "en Toto" costs EVERY AMERICAN, Men, Women and Children, $750 per year in additional costs added to EVERYTHING we buy and consume!
So you not only receive nothing as a "winner" in the suit, it costs you every time you pay for ANYTHING!
The only people who benefit from this are the bottom feeding scum we refer to as "Tort Lawyers"! There should be a bounty on 'em!
How about false advertising? You know, 8 year vinyl, high performance and warrateed...actually shrinks in 6 months. Seems like a viable course of legal action to me. Plenty of evidence out there...
Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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I got one of those $6 things from the Master Card class action suit also. I figured it would cost me more than $6 in time to fill out the paperwork, plus the postage to send it in.
One time I got a check from something similar for .25. I wonder how much it cost in labor and paperwork (plus the stamp) to get that check to me? I actually deposited it...just got a wierd look from the bank teller.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I got one of those years ago against the phone company, & yes, they WERE overcharging BIG time. I mean, it was really bad. a few years later, I got a letter like that in the mail & they gave me a couple hundred bucks. I took it because they ripped me off first!!!!
I don't know how all of that works, but I felt justified in filling out the papers & sending them in.
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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I received $5000 from mine and only had to fill out a few pages. Wife would not let me keep it, Made me give it to the bills. Sometimes wives just arn't fun. She also made me give back the check for my death.
-------------------- Raymond Quick Ye Thicker Than Thou Sign and Repair Shoppe Olympic College, 1600 Chester Ave Bremerton, WA 98337 rquick@oc.ctc.edu Posts: 50 | From: Bremerton Washington | Registered: Jan 2002
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Would anyone care to sign on for a class-action suit against . . . class-action suits . . . where the distribution of compensation per person is less than . . . $50? $100?? $500???
We can take a vote among participants regarding the amount we would like to recieve . . .*we can sue for mental anguish over trying to spend the pittance, since it is the equivelant of an economic insult and therefore emotional trauma to the already suffering and injured, a counter-suit if you will, for failure to bring full closure to the injured . . .
I'm just sayin' . . .there's GOTTA be a (we will create a) loop-hole is all . . .
*Note: Of course, being the originator (I will own the design rights to this suit ) and initiator of, as well as legal counselor for this suit, I would require at least 75% of the overall take . . .you understand . . . .
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by W. R. Pickett: ...I disagree Don. In my opinion any class action suit against CIGARETTE companies, gun and ammo manufacturers, and polluters are totally justified and necessary. How else can we hold these killers responsible?
...Whatever anybody thinks about lawyers is another subject.
Billy!!! How can you say that??? Gun and ammo manufacturers are responsible for the way their products are misused? When someone runs over someone else with their car does that mean the car industry should be sued because their product was misused? Come on man, you don't actually believe that do you? We have enough frivilous lawsuits going on without this. Guns don't kill people; people kill people.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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) and initiator of, as well as legal counselor for this suit, I would require at least 75% of the overall take . . .you understand . . . . ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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