Fw: would like to talk to you more.......

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " Kathi " <pureheart@...>

<undisclosed-recipients:>

Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 6:56 PM

Subject: Re: would like to talk to you more.......

> Some of you have written asking who is. She is a law student who

> has been in contact with some of the women through the forum and in

> personal emails. This will introduce her to those of you who have not

> been aware of her before.

>

> Kathi

>

>

> From: (lhr28@...)

> Subject: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-20 10:43:46 PST

>

>

> I am a law student who is currently researching women's experiences

> with class action litigation. I am looking specifically at the MDL

> litigation which resulted in the RSP.

>

> As a part of a paper I am writing, I want to learn how RSP claimants

> and others involved in silicone breast implant class action litigation

> felt about their experiences as plaintiffs and/or claimants.

>

> If you are interested in talking with me or responding to a list of

> written questions, please contact me at lhr28@.... All

> responses will be kept confidential.

>

> Many thanks,

>

>

> Rubin

> Message 2 in thread

> From: Myrl (myrlj@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-20 21:30:12 PST

>

>

> ,

> I couldn't help fighting with my keyboard, when I saw your message. .

> .I suspect class action lawsuits have become a hot button issue for a

> number of breast implant claimants.

>

> Since you ask that we share individual stories with you, I'll try to

> stick to my own perceptions based upon the last 8 years of involvement

> as a claimant within the MDL.

>

> Quite frankly, the most visible lesson from this class action, as well

> as other's I've observed, is they aren't meant to be created for the

> purpose of helping those injured or wronged. They are instead set up

> for those in the periphery, especially attorneys.

>

> All in all the breast implant class action almost precisely mirrored

> the asbestos litigation against s-Manville.

>

> We continually see corporations, use an actuarial approach to

> business. They weigh the possibility of creating profit, even at the

> expense of harm to humans, against the possibility of dollars lost in

> litigation. If the balance is more profit than litigation risk. .

> .then human life become expendable.

>

> Once harm comes to light, and the magnitude of damage is more than a

> corporation wishes to absorb, the class action machine begins to work

> in tandem with manufacturers/corporations, attorneys from both sides,

> insurers, and other periphery individuals (doctors, labs,

> head-hunters, non-profit scam artists, etc.)

>

> One of the prime goals of manufacturers from class action, is to

> contain litigation damages. How better to facilitate this, then to

> contain/corral as many claimants together in a class action. The

> " head-hunters " come in to help locate possible claimants, they steer

> them to certain attorneys, who are also likely to be running volumes

> of ads through newspaper, and other media. These attorneys likely

> represent that they are claimant attorneys for victims, but " may "

> actually be working for the corporate interests of coralling and

> containing damages through the class action. Deadlines to file for

> these class actions get extended, to make certain every last possible

> claimant is contained. In the beginning, during the corral process,

> the grid amounts for settlement dollars " appear " reasonable enough

> that those made ill or injured, will likely not opt out, or sue

> individually. What claimants don't know, is that it's probable, a

> major amount of settlement dollar " ratcheting " down is going to take

> place, once the filing deadlines are over. . .Worse yet, and I believe

> even more probable, the filing of bankruptcy of the

> manufacturer/corporation, in order to avoid damages all together. I

> believe the recruitment/corralling by enticing with reasonable grid

> amounts, and then ultimately declaring manufacturer bankruptcy was the

> Read the rest of this message... (60 more lines)

>

> Message 3 in thread

> From: DAngelotti (dangelotti@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-21 10:12:43 PST

>

>

>

> I couldn't have said it better myself. If anyone ever thought the

> attorneys

> cared about their clients, they were so mistaken. And while I was at

> Dow

> Corning, I kept telling people that once something bigger than Breat

> Implants

> came along, we would be yesterday's news. Well, the thing that came

> along was

> tobacco and everyone saw how quickly the lawyers jumped ship. They want

> out

> now and all they want is their 30% or whatever they negotiated.

>

> As to your comments about risk, you are also correct. All companies

> (and

> people) balance risk and value. The stock market is a good example as

> is a

> nuclear power plant. When a nuke plant is being designed, the

> contractor will

> try to determine the number and extent of injuries (and even deaths)

> that will

> occur during construction. they then said their insurance policies to

> cover

> this. It's all a part of doing business.

>

> Dow Corning Dave

> Message 4 in thread

> From: CP (cpdowdid@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-21 22:00:31 PST

>

>

> One might also remember that since 1995 when Dow claimed bankruptcy,

> there has been an excess of $196 MILLION paid out to professionals.

>

> As for the class action, it was a golden corral where the women were

> herded into Sam Pointer's chute, branded by the manufacturers with the

> help of some of their own attorneys as nuts, sluts,and hysterical

> women, and sent out to a weedy pasture, many without the funds to pay

> for a month's medications, much less their medical needs for the rest

> of their lives.

>

> We have seen attorney against attorney, each with a golden knife ready

> to slip between the shoulder blades of his/her colleagues. While

> lawyers rode off in the Jags to join other class actions, the women

> were left holding a bag of cow manure. This was a sick game where

> everyone knew the rules but the women.

>

> We lost our trust in the judicial system. We lost our faith in

> doctors. We lost our belief that our government would protect us from

> harm.

>

> In other words. We woke up to reality. Class actions are tools where

> lawyers get rich and the clients get zip.

>

> But, you know what? They haven't beat us yet. As long as there is

> breath, some of us will still be around to tell the story as it is.

> The system is corrupted and no one will be able to fix it as long as

> politicians accept tainted money from greedy corporations.

>

> Pam Dowd

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

> Message 5 in thread

> From: Ilena (ilena@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-22 07:56:34 PST

>

>

> Below is very revealilng regarding why the women never really a chance

> in the " settlement " ... Pointer's loyalties are very clear ...

>

>

> Interesting ... it doesn't mention his breast implant work. Also,

> please see other clients of this Law Firm such as Bristol Myers

> Squibb.

>

>

>

http://martindale.com/xp/dale/Lawyer_Locator/Search_Lawyer_Locator/sea

rch_result.xml?PG=0 & STYPE=N & LNAME=pointer & FNAME=samuel & FN= & CN= & CTY= & STS= & CRY

=1 & LSCH=

>

> Sam C. Pointer, Jr.

> Member

> Lightfoot, lin ; White, L.L.C.

> The Building, 400 20th Street North

> Birmingham, Alabama 35203-3200

> (Jefferson Co.)

> Telephone: 205-581-0700

> Facsimile: 205-581-0799

> Send Email

>

> Rating Info

>

> Admitted: 1957, Alabama

>

> College: Vanderbilt University.

>

> Member: Birmingham and American (Past Council member, Litigation

> Section and Judicial Administration Division) Bar Associations;

> Alabama State Bar; American Judicature Society (past Director);

> American Law Institute (Life Member)

>

> Biography: Phi Beta Kappa; Farrah Order of Jurisprudence; Member,

> Managing Board, Alabama Law Review. Recipient: Frances Rawle Award

> (ALI-ABA, 1988); E. Gates Award, American College of Trial

> Lawyers, 1990. United States District Judge for Northern District of

> Alabama, 1970-2000 (Chief Judge, 1982-1999); Judicial Panel on

> Multidistrict Litigation, 1980-1987; Judicial Conference of the United

> States, 1987-1990; Chair, Advisory Committee on Civil Rules,

> 1991-1993; chair, Board of Editors of Manual for Complex Litigation,

> Second, 1979-1990; Judicial Council of Eleventh Circuit. Honorary

> Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

>

> Born: Birmingham, Alabama, November 15, 1934.

>

> ISLN: 904385555

>

>

> Web Site: http://www.lfwlaw.com

> Read the rest of this message... (79 more lines)

>

>

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

> Message 6 in thread

> From: (lhr28@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-29 15:38:19 PST

>

>

> After reading about Chesley, O'Quinn, Laminack, and others, I

> understand why women who participated in the RSP feel that lawyers are

> the problem. My question to you, Pam, and others, is whether you feel

> that the legal system is hopelessly fixed against mass tort plaintiffs

> or whether it can be improved to plaintiffs' benefit? Some in the

> legal community have suggested that placing a good number of actual

> victims on the plaintiffs' steering committee could be helpful, for

> instance. Others have suggested that if the lawyers in the breast

> implant litigation were women, perhaps the settlement would not have

> been so skewed.

>

> What do others think of these suggestions? And did any of the RSP

> claimants out there have positive experiences with their attorneys?

>

> Lastly, if anyone reading this message was deposed as part of the

> class action, I am dying to talk to you.

>

> Many thanks for your insights,

>

>

>

>

> cpdowdid@... (CP) wrote in message

> news:<97ec2e37.0212212200.6bf6a082@...>...

> > One might also remember that since 1995 when Dow claimed bankruptcy,

> > there has been an excess of $196 MILLION paid out to professionals.

> >

> > As for the class action, it was a golden corral where the women were

> > herded into Sam Pointer's chute, branded by the manufacturers with the

>

> > help of some of their own attorneys as nuts, sluts,and hysterical

> > women, and sent out to a weedy pasture, many without the funds to pay

> > for a month's medications, much less their medical needs for the rest

> > of their lives.

> >

> > We have seen attorney against attorney, each with a golden knife ready

>

> > to slip between the shoulder blades of his/her colleagues. While

> > lawyers rode off in the Jags to join other class actions, the women

> > were left holding a bag of cow manure. This was a sick game where

> > everyone knew the rules but the women.

> >

> > We lost our trust in the judicial system. We lost our faith in

> > doctors. We lost our belief that our government would protect us from

>

> > harm.

> >

> > In other words. We woke up to reality. Class actions are tools where

> > lawyers get rich and the clients get zip.

> >

> > But, you know what? They haven't beat us yet. As long as there is

> > breath, some of us will still be around to tell the story as it is.

> > The system is corrupted and no one will be able to fix it as long as

> > politicians accept tainted money from greedy corporations.

> >

> > Pam Dowd

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

> Message 7 in thread

> From: Myrl (myrlj@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2003-01-01 18:51:10 PST

>

>

> ,

> Placing more victims on the plaintiff steering committee " could be " an

> improvement. However, my personal feelings are in breast implant

> litigation, many chosen for steering committee seats were politically

> aligned with the very attorneys that were instrumental in our lot!

>

> At one point, when a " new " steering committee (ICHPAD) was being

> selected, it was done in almost complete secrecy. When I was given

> information and names of proposed new committee members, to post about

> it. The three ladies who gave me the information, were fearful my

> posting it, would cause them repercussions for divulging. I used a

> pseudonym " Siliplanted " to alert victims to the fact that new

> " representatives " were being hand selected and rammed down our throats

> in total secrecy. Two of the nine individuals being selected for the

> " new " committee " came out of the woodwork, to brand " Siliplanted " as a

> trouble making liar. As did one of our most visual " non-implanted "

> silicone advocates in this cause.

>

> Of course, within 72 hours of " Siliplanted's " postings, all nine

> selectees were seated on the " new " steering committee (ICHPAD). So

> much for democracy in these United States, and especially in the area

> of Plaintiff Steering Committees, when control of victims is so vital.

>

> The dollar amounts to these settlements are far too large, for

> attorneys, and other's sucking off of the golden egg, to allow mere

> victims to have control over their own destiny.

>

> There is further postings in a thread on this board:

>

>

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en & lr= & ie=UTF-8 & threadm=9713e020.02042403

54.69b21fc%40posting.google.com & rnum=1 & prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dsiliplanted%2Bgrou

p:alt.support.breast-implant%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D9713e02

0.0204240354.69b21fc%2540posting.google.com%26rnum%3D1

>

>

>

> Myrl

>

> lhr28@... () wrote in message

> news:<7c19f513.0212291538.39b1e1d@...>...

> > After reading about Chesley, O'Quinn, Laminack, and others, I

> > understand why women who participated in the RSP feel that lawyers are

>

> > the problem. My question to you, Pam, and others, is whether you feel

>

> > that the legal system is hopelessly fixed against mass tort plaintiffs

>

> > or whether it can be improved to plaintiffs' benefit? Some in the

> > legal community have suggested that placing a good number of actual

> > victims on the plaintiffs' steering committee could be helpful, for

> > instance. Others have suggested that if the lawyers in the breast

> > implant litigation were women, perhaps the settlement would not have

> > been so skewed.

> >

> > What do others think of these suggestions? And did any of the RSP

> > claimants out there have positive experiences with their attorneys?

> >

>

> Read the rest of this message... (38 more lines)

>

>

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

> Message 8 in thread

> From: Myrl (myrlj@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2003-01-02 07:45:56 PST

>

>

> I meant to say when the new " Task Force " (known as ICHPAD) was being

> selected . . . not Plaintiff Steering Committee. Sorry for the

> Silicone Moment!

>

> However, I do believe all these entities are so joined at the hip,

> it's hard to tell where one begins and the other leaves off anyway.

>

> Myrl

>

>

> myrlj@... (Myrl) wrote in message

> news:<9713e020.0301011851.24e033d9@...>...

> > ,

> > Placing more victims on the plaintiff steering committee " could be " an

>

> > improvement. However, my personal feelings are in breast implant

> > litigation, many chosen for steering committee seats were politically

> > aligned with the very attorneys that were instrumental in our lot!

> >

> > At one point, when a " new " steering committee (ICHPAD) was being

> > selected, it was done in almost complete secrecy. When I was given

> > information and names of proposed new committee members, to post about

>

> > it. The three ladies who gave me the information, were fearful my

> > posting it, would cause them repercussions for divulging. I used a

> > pseudonym " Siliplanted " to alert victims to the fact that new

> > " representatives " were being hand selected and rammed down our throats

>

> > in total secrecy. Two of the nine individuals being selected for the

> > " new " committee " came out of the woodwork, to brand " Siliplanted " as a

>

> > trouble making liar. As did one of our most visual " non-implanted "

> > silicone advocates in this cause.

> >

> > Of course, within 72 hours of " Siliplanted's " postings, all nine

> > selectees were seated on the " new " steering committee (ICHPAD). So

> > much for democracy in these United States, and especially in the area

> > of Plaintiff Steering Committees, when control of victims is so vital.

>

> >

> > The dollar amounts to these settlements are far too large, for

> > attorneys, and other's sucking off of the golden egg, to allow mere

> > victims to have control over their own destiny.

> >

> > There is further postings in a thread on this board:

> >

> >

>

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en & lr= & ie=UTF-8 & threadm=9713e020.02042403

54.69b21fc%40posting.google.com & rnum=1 & prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dsiliplanted%2Bgrou

p:alt.support.breast-implant%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D9713e02

0.0204240354.69b21fc%2540posting.google.com%26rnum%3D1

>

> >

> >

> > Myrl

> >

> > lhr28@... () wrote in message

> news:<7c19f513.0212291538.39b1e1d@...>...

> > > After reading about Chesley, O'Quinn, Laminack, and others, I

> > > understand why women who participated in the RSP feel that lawyers

> are

> > > the problem. My question to you, Pam, and others, is whether you

> feel

> > > that the legal system is hopelessly fixed against mass tort

> plaintiffs

> > > or whether it can be improved to plaintiffs' benefit? Some in the

> > > legal community have suggested that placing a good number of actual

> > > victims on the plaintiffs' steering committee could be helpful, for

> > > instance. Others have suggested that if the lawyers in the breast

> > > implant litigation were women, perhaps the settlement would not have

>

> > > been so skewed.

> > >

> > > What do others think of these suggestions? And did any of the RSP

> > > claimants out there have positive experiences with their attorneys?

> > >

> > > Lastly, if anyone reading this message was deposed as part of the

> > > class action, I am dying to talk to you.

> > >

> > > Many thanks for your insights,

> > >

> > >

> > >

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

> Message 9 in thread

> From: Myrl (myrlj@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-22 05:15:00 PST

>

>

> Not too different from when Pharoahs built pyramids is it?. . .They

> buried the bodies of the workers in the walls as they went along to

> accomplish the goal!

>

> Myrl

>

>

>

> dangelotti@... (DAngelotti) wrote in message

> news:<20021221131039.02710.00000179@...>...

> >When a nuke plant is being designed, the contractor will

> > try to determine the number and extent of injuries (and even deaths)

> that will

> > occur during construction. they then said their insurance policies to

> cover

> > this. It's all a part of doing business.

> >

> > Dow Corning Dave

>

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

> Message 10 in thread

> From: S3733 (susans3733@...)

> Subject: Re: Share Your Class Action Story With Me

>

>

> View this article only

> Newsgroups: alt.support.breast-implant

> Date: 2002-12-22 08:02:10 PST

>

>

> In article <9713e020.0212220514.35c097a8@...>,

> myrlj@...

> (Myrl) writes:

>

> >buried the bodies of the workers in the walls

>

> Buried the bodies under paperwork in this modern era saga

> Post a follow-up to this message

>

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

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>

>