[AlwaysLurking]

The case that helped make John Edwards rich was the one where the little girl had
part of her intestine sucked out in a pool drain.

She got a big settlement,
read he got BIG $$$.

Note however, that he is one of the very few senators who
voted against the ban on partial birth abortion,
where little baby girls & little
boys get their brains sucked out.
Oh, that's o.k.
What hypocrisy!!!

[Servant of the Nine]

The case that helped make John Edwards rich was the one where the little girl had part of her intestine sucked out in a pool drain.

Note however, that he is one of the very few senators who voted against the ban on partial birth abortion, where little baby girls & little boys get their brains sucked out.

Oh, that's o.k.
What hypocrisy!!!

That is not to say he wouldn't be willing to sue abortionists if the money was right.

So9

[kcvl]

In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night. Edwards filed suit on the Lakeys' behalf against Sta-Rite Industries, the Wisconsin corporation that manufactured the drain. Attorneys describe his handling of the case as a virtuoso example of a trial layer bringing a negligent corporation to heel. Sta-Rite offered the Lakeys $100,000 to settle the case. Edwards passed.

Before trial, he discovered that 12 other children had suffered similar injuries from Sta-Rite drains. The company raised its offer to $1.25 million. Two weeks into the trial, they upped the figure to $8.5 million. Edwards declined the offer and asked for their insurance policy limit of $22.5 million. The day before the trial resumed from Christmas break, Sta-Rite countered with $17.5 million. Again, Edwards said no. On January 10, 1997, lawyers from across the state packed the courtroom to hear Edwards' closing argument, "the most impressive legal performance I have ever seen," recalls Dayton. Three days later, the jury found Sta-Rite guilty and liable for $25 million in economic damages (by state law, punitive damages could have tripled that amount). The company immediately settled for $25 million, the largest verdict in state history.

More importantly, our attorneys helped the Lakeys in urging North Carolina to pass laws to better protect children in swimming pools. These laws have become a model for the nation. The story of Valerie's case received international publicity. In 1997, John Edwards and David Kirby were awarded the Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America for their representation of Valerie Lakey.

Kirby & Holt, L.L.P., is unique in North Carolina with its own full-time staff of Registered Nurses. Our nurses provide valuable assistance with medical issues in your case.

[kcvl]

Kirby & Holt Leads Large Verdicts and Settlements List Again

The legal publication North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly recently published its 2002 list of the largest verdicts and settlements in the state over the past year. Once again, Kirby & Holt led the way with the most large verdicts and settlements. Of the 54 recoveries of $1 million or more reported statewide, Kirby & Holt had 10 cases on the list. The firm with the next largest number had 5 cases. Since the firm was founded in 1993, it has led the list in the number of large verdicts and settlements reported by Lawyers Weekly in every year but one.


Since the firm was founded in 1993, our representation has led to numerous record-setting recoveries, including:

Largest personal injury verdict in North Carolina
Largest personal injury settlement in North Carolina
Largest medical malpractice verdict in North Carolina
Largest birth injury settlement in North Carolina
Largest verdict in the U.S. in a workplace violence case
Largest product liability verdict in North Carolina

[kcvl]

The firm was founded in 1993 as Edwards & Kirby, L.L.P., with David F. Kirby, John R. Edwards and C. Mark Holt as attorneys. William B. Bystrynski joined the firm in 1994, and Isaac L. Thorp joined the firm in 1998. The firm was renamed Kirby & Holt, L.L.P. when John R. Edwards began his service in the United States Senate after being elected in 1998.