Suit claims report was altered Engineering firm sued for downplaying wind

[merh]

Suit claims report was altered
Engineering firm sued for downplaying wind damage
By ANITA LEE
[email protected]

GULFPORT - An engineering company altered a report to eliminate the significant role wind played in severely damaging the home of an elderly Gulfport couple during Hurricane Katrina, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Chancery Court.

The Merlin Law Group is asking a judge to order the original report restored and award $5 million in damages to Hubert W. and Joyce Smith, who used retirement savings to repair their home after their insurer paid $16,000 on a policy with a total of $540,000 in coverage.

(snip)

Private insurance companies are covering only wind damage from Hurricane Katrina because their policies generally exclude coverage for damage caused by wind-driven water. The local engineer who completed the Smiths' report verified it had been altered and his signature forged, according to the lawsuit and other records obtained by the attorney who filed the suit, William B. Weatherly.

(snip)

Hood has been unwilling to discuss details of the investigation, but Weatherly said: "Some of this involves secret grand jury proceedings. It's my observation that this is being treated very seriously by (Hood's) office. I have talked to the investigators and I have talked to Jim Hood. They are going to subpoena any and all people involved and investigate thoroughly what happened here."

(snip)

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/14129097.htm

Corporate America - screw the people, full speed ahead for the profits and let the taxpayers take up the slack!
One would think the old guard of the GOP would have problems with these sentiments. :argh: