New Orleans residents rush to join lawsuit

[babylonsister]

Edit to add link:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-28-katrina-lawsuit_x.htm

New Orleans residents rush to join lawsuit
By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY

New Orleans residents who were hurt or whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Katrina are scrambling to beat a deadline Thursday to file claims against the Army Corps of Engineers.

Thousands of people descended on the corps' office Wednesday in New Orleans to file claims that accuse the corps of being responsible for levee failures that flooded New Orleans.

If the claims are denied, the victims then can take part in a lawsuit demanding compensation for losses. Joseph Bruno, one of several attorneys representing victims, says he expects more than 100,000 to file claims.

Debbie Simon, a corps spokeswoman, said it expects the total to be around 60,000 claims.

Bruno said the sudden rush to file is due to several factors. It's been difficult to inform people of the deadline because so many New Orleans residents are displaced around the country. Many still in New Orleans are living in trailers or new locations. And many others held off until they realized their insurance companies and government agencies were not paying them what they felt they were entitled to.

"It's been sheer, unmitigated hell," Bruno said.

more...

[terip64]

1. linkity link?

[babylonsister]

3. Oops, and thanks. Also added to OP:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-28-katrina-lawsuit_x.htm

[terip64]

5. ThanksI I want to send it on to my email list! n/t

[waiting for hope]

2. Good....

Even if it's a mute point (thought I heard that you can't sue the Corp) it will cause a big stink. Maybe that is needed in order to get the ball rolling.

[ThomCat]

4. I hope a hell of a lot of people join in and get big settlements

because those settlements are going be most of what they'll get. Unfortunately, that means they'll have to wait a long time.

[KamaAina]

6. More from the local paper

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1172730415108700.xml&coll=1

Late Wednesday afternoon, the corps announced that the claims forms would be accepted until the deadline at any of its offices around the nation. A list of corps offices is available at www.hecsa.usace.army.mil/pubactv.html on the Internet....

When the flood of claims first began arriving Monday, they were being dropped off by motorists at a mailbox in the corps' office parking lot.

But around midmorning Wednesday, traffic gridlock prompted the corps to switch to a new system with at least ten corps employees, all wearing orange reflective vests, accepting forms handed to them by people through the windows of passing vehicles.

Some individuals simply parked their cars on nearby streets and walked their forms to corps employees stationed along the roadway.

Late Wednesday afternoon?! How in hell are people supposed to find out about about that in time to get to a CoE office today?! Or maybe that's the point: they're not supposed to. Fuckmooks. :grr:

[Xenotime]

7. They should sue * as well.