Charles' response (Economics and Law thread) about the politics behind tort law -- especially law involving people against corporations -- reminded me of a WSJ editorial last fall.
Read the opening item, below, and check out the commentary, below it, if you care about this kind of creation of urban legends... (the left does it, too, unfortunately). --- cut here --- Trial Lawyers, Inc. Wall Street Journal September 23, 2003 That's how the folks at the Manhattan Institute now refer to what may be America's only recession-proof industry: the plaintiffs' bar. We hope the moniker catches on. For decades trial attorneys have nurtured a public image as little Davids standing up with their slingshots to America's corporate Goliaths. But as a study to be released later this morning on Capitol Hill underscores -- "Trial Lawyers, Inc.: A Report on the Lawsuit Industry in America 2003" (www.triallawyersinc.com) -- these litigators have become an industry unto themselves. By now, most every American has his own tale about some silly lawsuit run amok, from the post-tobacco obesity suits targeting McDonald's to the $7.2 million settlement former "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon won after suing over house mold he claimed had killed his dog. When the Manhattan Institute's researchers added it all up, the result was staggering: Not only have tort costs risen much faster than either inflation or GDP, the estimated $40 billion in revenues our tort warriors took in for 2001 was 50% more than Microsoft or Intel and double that of Coca-Cola. One good measure of their size is their political clout: In 2002 the trial lawyers' PAC ranked third in America -- and was the Democratic Party's most generous contributor. We're not saying that there's no role for trial attorneys in the American legal system, or that they don't occasionally secure justice for a wronged individual. But with the billions its firms rake in each year putting them squarely in the category of Big Business, shouldn't their self-serving claims be treated with the same skepticism routinely directed at, say, Halliburton or Philip Morris? -----Original Message----- [My commentary From: Sept 2003] That previous WSJ story about Ed McMahon's dog being worth $7.2m in tort damages sounded so outlandish, I wanted to find the case. After all, the WSJ (editorially at least) would easily fall in with that business-political group that wants to limit what lawyers can get their clients on tort. It's NOT beyond an editorial board (as distinct from a news reporter) to do creative "urban legend"-making. Sure enough, he didn't get $7.2m for the dog. The case was settled out of court for $7.2m. (Which is probably why I couldn't find the ruling in California Superior Court database.) Also: The dog was not the law suit. The dog was brought up in the case as a piece of evidence -- being like a "canary in a coal mine," a first indicator. The dog dies, then wife gets sick, etc. (I include the second LA Times article in full below because it details the extent of the complaint -- which appears to claim the insurance company had taken possession of all the family's personal property.) Furthermore, the suit is really part of a larger, local controversy in California about "toxic mold syndrome." McMahon wasn't the only one. Governor Grey Davis was in the fray (signs the 2001 Toxic Mold Disclosure Act). (For a thrilling read about mold and insurance coverage, see www.cavignac.com/pdfs/Cml0603.pdf.) By trying to reduce it to a "dog lawsuit" and tacking the words "tort award $7.2m" -- that is a partisan, editorial attempt to hurt "Tort Warriors." WSJ was just reporting on (though gladly accepting) what they were told by "The Manhattan Institute." The MI is a conservative "think tank" in NYC. It probably gets funding from the very business lobby group that wants to curb tort awards. MI prez Larry Mone sat on a May 29 panel with Edward H. Crane III (Cato Institute), Christopher DeMuth (American Enterprise Institute), and Edwin J. Feulner Jr. (Heritage Foundation). That is one heavy-duty line-up for far right big business-fueled institutions. Ken. -- Tolerance means to have the questions. Fanaticism means to have the answers. -- Elie Wiesel --- cut here --- Los Angeles Times: May 9, 2003. pg. B.1 Ed McMahon Settles Suit Over Mold for $7.2 Million Jean Guccione. Abstract (Article Summary) Ed McMahon and his wife, Pamela, sued American Equity Insurance Co. in April 2002 for breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The couple and members of their household staff were sickened by toxic mold that spread through their six-bedroom, Mediterranean-style house after contractors failed to properly clean up water damage from a broken pipe, their lawsuit alleged. The pipe broke in ... --- cut here --- Ed McMahon Sues Over Mold in House Courts: Entertainer seeks $20 million from insurer, alleging he was sickened by substance after botched repair. By ANN O'NEILL Los Angeles Times April 10, 2002 Entertainer Ed McMahon is suing his insurance company for more than $20 million, alleging that he was sickened by toxic mold that spread through his Beverly Hills house after contractors cleaning up water damage from a broken pipe botched the job. McMahon and his wife, Pamela, became ill from the mold, as did members of their household staff, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court suit. The McMahons also blame the mold for the death of the family dog, Muffin. Their suit, the latest of many in recent years over toxic mold, was filed late Monday against American Equity Insurance Co., a pair of insurance adjusters and several environmental cleanup contractors. It seeks monetary damages for alleged breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A spokeswoman for the insurance company declined to comment. The trouble began in late July, when a pipe broke in the couple's six-bedroom Mediterranean-style house, which was filled with memorabilia from Ed McMahon's long television career. The den was flooded. A month later, mold was discovered in the den. The McMahons charge in court papers that they were assured they were safe and could remain in the house during the cleanup, even as the mold spread through the heating and air conditioning ducts to their bedroom. It invaded the closets, contaminating their clothes. It also was found under the Jacuzzi in the master bathroom. The McMahons questioned the contractors' cleanup methods, including simply painting over the mold. As the job became more expensive and complex, the insurance company and its contractors abandoned it, the suit charges. "They covered it until they realized how expensive it was, and then they covered up," said McMahon lawyer Allan Browne. "What they did was spread the mold by allowing it to go into the air conditioning and heating ducts. When they screwed up, they started saying, 'Maybe we're not responsible for this job.'" "When your family loses its health and your home is a wasteland, that's a colossal disaster," McMahon said Tuesday. The McMahons' 8,000-square-foot house overlooking Coldwater Canyon stands gutted as the entertainer, his insurance company and the environmental cleanup contractors argue over who should pay to finish the cleanup, according to court papers. The McMahons are renting a $23,000-a-month house and, Browne said, have no idea where their insurance company has stored their clothing, furniture, artwork and memorabilia. "Hopefully, it's safe, but we don't know where it is," Browne said. Awareness of toxic mold has increased in recent years because of a spate of lawsuits. Among the most prominent litigants is Erin Brockovich, who discovered mold in the house she bought when the story of her legal crusade on behalf of pollution victims was turned into a movie starring Julia Roberts. In response to the increased litigation, insurance rates have spiked in some states. Insurers in some areas have stopped writing policies or offer only bare-bones ones that don't cover mold problems. In June, for example, Farmers Insurance Group lost a $32-million lawsuit filed by a Texas family that claimed toxic mold in their home caused severe health problems. The jury found that the insurer failed to pay for needed repairs for a water leak, which allowed mold to grow rampant in the house, making it uninhabitable. In California, Gov. Gray Davis signed the 2001 Toxic Mold Disclosure Act, which went into effect in January. The law requires anyone selling, leasing or transferring property to disclose any potentially dangerous mold problem. "The mold that grew in this case was the poisonous variety, stachybotrys chartarum," Browne said. "This is the most dangerous mold of all. It can cause death in people who are susceptible to respiratory ailments." The McMahons' dog, a mutt who resembled a sheep dog, was in perfect health until she suddenly became sick at about the same time the mold was discovered, Browne said. "She was a sweetheart of a dog, incredibly smart, as frisky as you can imagine," the lawyer said. "All of a sudden she got this terrible respiratory ailment, and they had to put her down," Browne said. And then, McMahon's and his wife's health began to suffer. McMahon, best known as the affable sidekick to talk show host Johnny Carson, spent most of the fall coughing, sneezing and congested. "Nobody could figure out why he was unable to breathe," Browne said. He spent four months on antibiotics and had to cancel several speaking engagements. Finally, his doctor ordered him out of the house and his health improved.