As we predicted in an Oct. 18 entry, suits are being filed at a rapid pace over the October Staten Island ferry crash. Some suits feature victims who have suffered very real and very tragic injuries — but are seeking payouts as high as $500 million. Others are seeking millions or hundreds of millions of dollars for “emotional trauma” or “losing sleep”. And television and newspaper advertisements abound as lawyers solicit clients–including one tv ad showing “a ghostly image of a ferry washed over by a tidal wave of green dollar signs”. Best two paragraphs from today’s New York Times–wait for the punchline:
Lloyd Joseph fractured his back when the ferry crashed and was still being treated last night for various injuries at a Staten Island hospital. Mr. Joseph and his lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, during a conference call interview, lamented the fact that some of the lawsuits stemming from the accident seemed frivolous.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Mr. Rubenstein, who did not advertise for ferry-crash clients. “Obviously, the public might have a problem taking seriously a claim that is serious when others that are not that serious are filed for huge amounts.” Mr. Joseph and his wife, Jocelyn, are seeking $105 million in their lawsuit.
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