Class Action: Lawyers get $3mil, Plaintiffs $10Gs

Settlement Administrator | 10/30/03 | JimVT

[JimVT]

NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND HEARING THEREON

William D. Hoffman, et al vs American Express Travel Related Services com.

Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Alameda, Case No. 2001-011881

Litigation began on 9/6/01 when plaintiff Hoffman filed a complaint.....alleging that Amex engaged in false advertising and unfair biz practices with respect to airflight, baggange, etc programs by saying insurance premiums would only be charged when the cardmember flew.

Charges are that they didn't refund premiums when cardmember didn't fly or when flights were cancelled, etc.

[JimVT]

AMEX says it didn't do anything wrong BUT they are "willing to agree to the proposed settlement solely to avoid the expense and inconvenience of further litigation (My underline).

NOW HEAR THIS:

The settlement?

"Plaintiffs counsel intends to ask the court to award them costs and fees in an amount not to exceed 2.99 million dollars and to award Plaintiffs $10,000. $7,000 to Hoffman and $3000 to Carr for their efforts in representing the Settlement Class."

Amex says it won't object to any request that doesn't exceed $3 million.

Hey....I got an idea! Why don't we get Congress to shut down all Law Schools for a 10 years so the sharks can start to die off and the new guys can find legitimate cases to deal with.

I can almost see this one developing in some shark's office where they find a screw-up by AMEX and get some bozo to be a plaintiff for a quick $7000. "Hey, Billy D, it's a good deal...we do all the work and you get 7gs and we throw in 3gs for your brother-in-law."

I'm no big fan of AMEX... I have used their card for 40 years...mostly because it forces me to pay up each month to avoid interest charges....costs me $75 a year which IS getting a bit expensive.

But dammit...both these groups...lawyers and corporations are (1) too quick to sue and (2) too quick to bail out.

The sharks said they worked this gig for 2 years at their expense.

OK...give 'em 4000 hours over 2 years and they're charging what... $750 bucks an hour? Give 'em a team of five and throw in a secretary and they're still far from starvation.

Total bulls*it.

There is an option in the notice to object to the settlement. AMEX members who got the notification must object by 12/16/03.

I plan to.

[longtermmemmory]

The amex contract you sign provides for attorny fees. If amex won they would get an equal or larger amount.


However, I do agree with you law school idea to an extent. It is waaaaaay to easy for universities to open a law school. You only need a library and a few professors. It is a high profit operation.

Perhaps they need to set limits for first year classes. Right now the United States has a 1/1 ratio of applicants to first year seats. Anyone (anyone) who wants to go to law school, can.

[Lead Moderator]

I can sure understand where you are coming from, my friend. But never mind that lil' ol' line you just crossed there expressing it! lol

[isthisnickcool]

Sorry. I've run across these types several times. My knee did jerk there. Apologies.

This week I received another class action notice on something. It had David Boise's name on it. I have yet to read it but I'd prefer that he didn't make a penny off whatever it is.

These types of lawsuits, especially the ones where state atty. generals band together and become a pack of wild dogs should be illegal. Or, at a minimum, like most lawsuits they should be automatic loser pays.

[longtermmemmory]

this stuff ticks me off too. These are class action suits. Matters so tiny that the megafirms are the only ones who can consolodate this stuff. (sadly the megafirms tend to be dominated by democrat faithful lawyers.)

[JimVT]

If amex won they would get an equal or larger amount.

So that makes this whole con game accceptable?

[JimVT]

What did we miss here, Lead Moderator?

[friendly]

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: "One of my lawyers with a briefcase can steal more money than a thousand of my best men with guns!"

Extortionist shysters like these class action con artists are simply sociopaths in $3000 silk suits.

It is long, long past time for a massive legal revolution in this country to free us from this corruption and (yes) tyranny!!

[Lead Moderator]

Ask isthisnickcool. I bet he wouldn't mind saying it again (via freepmail this time though lol)

[longtermmemmory]

all attorneys fees are approved by the judge. The attorney has to prove his work. If he can show an ITEMIZED schedule of hours worked then there should be no problem. If the contract is a contingency contract then the contract must be shown. Same for both sides.

Amex seems stupid here becasue if the case itself is a 10000 dollar exposure, why are they allowing the bill to reach these proportions. This assesment should have been done earlier. It seems somebody at amex thought they could overwhelm the plaintiff and failed to do so.

Hardly a con game.

[friendly]

You are so right that this is a multimillion dollar scam. What I find astonishing is the massive denial by fellow lawyers, exemplified by the complete shyster dishonesty seen even on this thread.