LJ rumor: class action lawsuit?

[crispini]

I just received a phone call from a friend who is an attorney here in Maryland. He got a call to volunteer his time to go to the Astrodome in Houston to "pretend to be a caring volunteer but on a mission". The mission is to acquire identity information from the evacuee's so that they the evacuee's will be named as plaintiffs in a major class action lawsuit against - are you ready - The city of New Orleans, The state of Louisiana,and the Federal Government - namely FEMA for negligence and wrongful death. A separate class action is possible against the city of NewOrleans and or the State of Louisiana for seizing real property to rebuild New Orleans, the state and or city will have to rezone the land and many residential areas will most likely be erased/seized to make way for commercial property -- which would provide economic revenue. Remember the case before the US Supreme Court about giving states the right to seize property to boost economic revenue - well its probably going to happen.

According to my friend, hundreds of lawyers are on their way to the gulf coast area shelters to begin the process of reaching out to the evacuee's. I don't know if this is good or bad. The evacuee's are very vulnerable right now. This might just be preying on the down and out or it may be a blessing. I'm torn on this one! However, NO ONE SHOULD EVER PRETEND TO CARE! This ticks me off. But somehow I knew it was coming. (deep sigh).

From:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/54379.html?thread=7048043#t7048043

[applegrove]

1. I'm a little suspicious. Rove's dying to find the right scapegoat. People

greedier than than he? At least the most blatant ambulance chaser gets on the T.V. and tells who he is.

[thedailyshow]

2. hmm. interesting.

[coffeenap]

3. That call smells funny. nt

[blonndee]

4. Holy CRAP. They ARE going to steal what little those poor people had!

It finally hit me. And I'm thinking more and more that the LIHOP re: not repairing the levees immediately is pretty fucking likely.

Holy crap, again. No wonder they spent so much time w/relief. They were trying to figure out how to get the people as far away as possible.

[1932]

7. This is definitely going to be a contigency case.

These people have nothing. These lawyers will work for a % of the award.

[Bozita]

5. partner in firm with large SCOTUS practice agrees

says it's unavoidable under these circumstances

[Liberty Belle]

6. Kick!

Who called your attorney friend?

I hope the ruse was merely to slip past the Bush goons guarding the dying city and get some legal help for those poor people trapped inside.

[crispini]

10. hey, it's just a repost from LJ,

but now that you mention it, I *will* call an attorney friend.

[napi21]

8. I can see this being true. In this case, they would have to sue all

parties involved, thus the reason the City and State are listed. I suspect their prime target is the Feds, as it should be!

I guess I have a question though. Can you file a class action case against the Feds and not have it thrown out as invalid? I know an individual can due the Fed Gov't but a class actions suite???? I'm not sure.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. I can see that, starting with the classics of negligence and wrongful

death.