Posted on 03/27/2005 7:09:17 AM PST by Maria S
According to the Associated Press, Michael Schiavo sued medical professionals who he said failed to recognize symptoms that caused his wife's heart to stop beating, causing her brain damage. As a result, he won a $1.2 million settlement. At the time, Michael sought the funds with the promise to use the money for Terri Schiavo's care and rehabilitation. As part of the settlement, Michael Schiavo received $300,000, the rest being earmarked for Terri's care and rehabilitation. His attorneys say today most of the money designated for Terri is gone, spent on her care and legal bills. One of his lawyers, Deborah Bushnell, told the AP that more than half of the $700,000 designated from the malpractice award for Terri's care has been spent for that purpose, with the rest going toward litigation. But that statement is at odds with records that show that lawyers - not medical care - ate up most of the expenditures and have been paid directly from Terri's Medical Trust fund, with the approval of Judge George Greer: Here’s where most of the money went:
Atty. Gwyneth Stanley - $10,668.05 Atty. Deborah Bushnell - $65,607.00 Atty. Steve Nilson - $7,404.95 Atty. Pacarek - $1,500.00 Atty. Richard Pearse (GAL) - $4,511.95 Atty. George Felos - $397,249.99 Other - 1st Union/South Trust Bank – $55,459.85 Michael Schiavo - $10,929.95 Total: $545,852.34
These funds, the result of a malpractice suit, were meant solely to provide for Terri Schiavo’s care and rehabilitation, not to pay lawyers to help Michael Schiavo kill his wife. Schiavo’s primary attorney, George Felos, a professional advocate of mercy killing, has received upwards of $400,000 dollars since Schiavo hired him. This same attorney, at the expense of Terri’s medical fund, publicly likened Terri to a "houseplant" and has used Terri’s case on national television to promote his newly published book.
I don't know the answer to that.
But I think it would behoove us all to know if the state we want to retire to is involved in this.
Florida isn't called "God's waiting room" for no reason, so it's probably in the front lines for all sorts of insurance fraud, medicare fraud, scams of the elderly, you name it.
Needless to say, Florida is no longer on my list of places to retire to.
Amen. Thanks for the info, too.
This case stinks more and more each day. This case is built on Michael Schiavo's lie and the money he stole from Terri to pay the lawyers that want to kill Terri.
Greer is as corrupted as they come.
Who said I was on the moral right of anything? I merely made a comment about a couple of deadbeats who can't pay their bills. Do libertarians really object to that?
At this point, it seems hopeless to try to educate people on what brain death is, but I'll try.
Brain dead people do not breathe on their own.
Brain dead people do not vocalize.
That's just for a start.
You bet.
How long have you been too brain dead to see through Michael Schiavo's lies? This case is built on lies and money stolen to pay for Michael's lawyers.
Hard to believe anyone would have written a policy on Terri after she became ill. If they had an old policy they paid in 15 years of premiums. It would have had to have been entered into with premiums fixed for 15 years. Even then it could not have been a huge policy. A young couple with no children has no reason to take out a large life insurance policy.
What have you done important lately? You are not going to get any better either. We ought to remove you from food and drink.
I read your profile and you seem like an intelligent, trhoughtful person.
Don't take this wrong, but, at 28, I think this issue will come clear to you in much the same way of your political conversion. More life will show you why this is such a travesty.
Brain dead? Was it caused by aliens? Lets study it! Here comes the stem cell brigade.
If anyone would like to read on-the-ground commentary from someone who has spent a lot of time at the hospice, this time around, as well as during the previous attempts to kill Terri, here's a link to floriduh voter's posts:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?id=53496
This comment of floriduh voter's really chills me:
"When we were held back Friday while they were arresting the children, a local NBC reporter was held back with us. This local reported said "This is the Gestapo." Even the media is starting to see that THERE IS SOMETHING HUGE AND UNTOWARD GOING ON HERE."
Well .. while you're pointing fingers at our "leaders" - remember there are 3 other fingers pointing directly back to us.
We have sat back in our comfortable homes or hit the beach - totally oblivious to what the liberals were creating around us .. ELECTING CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES like Greer - just because nobody could be bothered to find out what kind of person he really was.
Florida has a real mess on their hands - and where I live - it's the same. My mom and I are both going to have documents filed with the state so some angry family member cannot FORCE US TO BE STARVED TO DEATH .. because elder abuse is on the rise in my state.
America is a government OF THE PEOPLE - BY THE PEOPLE - FOR THE PEOPLE - I believe WE have abdicated OUR RESPONSIBILITY as the PEOPLE. We must be more involved in political issues and we MUST STOP ELECTING PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE AMERICA's BEST INTERESTS AT HEART.
We have a major tool at our disposal - the internet - a tool which can inform and enlighten. We need to be exposing these people who are running for office - BEFORE WE ELECT SCUM LIKE GREER.
Let's stop accusing leaders and start helping them to make the right decisions. I email - almost on a daily basis - I don't just come here and whine about things I don't like. I go directly to the senators or representatives - TV stations - radio stations - trying to get my point of view into the arena.
Just today - this thread - a story by the AP - exposing this money trail. Little by little stuff is leaking out. We must not allow ourselves to become discouraged by the seemingly overwhelming forces of evil working against Terri.
Unless they UNSEAL the financial and medical records we will never know the truth. Greer would NOT unseal this information to DCF so it made it impossible to prove any "medical" abuse or anything else. The Shindlers have NEVER had access to Terri's medical records.
What a dirty racket they are all involved in. What rotten people.
Has anybody seen an accounting of where the money went for The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation? And why contributions are no longer tax deductable? And why they are no longer a tax exempt entity? Ask the Schindlers. All four of them, and only them, are in charge of the foundation.
http://www.sunbiz.org/corpweb/inquiry/cormenu.html
The whole problem seems to have started when MS received the rehap monies. Had there been no lawsuit, no rehab money, the husband would be now be divorced, remarried, and Terri would be with her parents.
Terri was working for an insurance company when she collapsed. One of the employee perks could be insurance.
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