Plaintiffs' Lawyers Wary Of Taking On Flint Water Scandal
The water scandal in Flint, Michigan has many of the ingredients for a mass, class-action lawsuit: danger signs that may have been ignored, many thousands of potential victims, the possibility of lifelong health problems, and the alleged systemic failure of people in charge.
Even consumer activist Erin Brockovich, the main subject of a 2000 movie named after her, has drawn attention to Flint's plight on her Facebook page and in public appearances.
But big-name, national plaintiffs' firms have yet to jump into the fray in Flint, which has a population of about 100,000.
What's holding them back, several lawyers said, is not the facts or the victims, but the prospective targets: The State of Michigan, the city of Flint, and officials at various levels of government. Special legal protections make it difficult to hold governments liable for damages, they said.
Federal and state governments and employees engaged in their official duties are shielded from most private lawsuits by a legal doctrine known as sovereign immunity. The doctrine, enshrined in the laws of many countries, stems from the centuries-old principle that the government itself cannot commit a legal wrong, though exceptions have evolved.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-michigan-water-lawsuits-insight-idUSKCN0V32O9
elleng
(130,156 posts)national plaintiff's firms would like.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)attorneys general and state employee pension funds.
saturnsring
(1,832 posts)Odin2005
(53,521 posts)Don't fall for RW bullshit.
saturnsring
(1,832 posts)Proserpina
(2,352 posts)Nobody wants to sue a bankrupt state.
That's why the FBI investigation into the cover up will be so important.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Still....someone should be held accountable and the medical bills and restoration of the piping in every house should be paid for. Yet it will be years of litigation. The people of Flint need help NOW! How about Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Tm Cook and the rest of those Billionaires chipping in to help the People of Flint? Maybe the Clinton Foundation should kick in, too. After all this is a Crises in our Own Country and these people need help ASAP.