I assume you meant to say "preying", not "praying." If so, then explain how John Edwards did anything to harm any women who concieve children with CP.

How does one "prey" on women who have given birth to children with cerebal palsy?

Please don't take this as a wise crack, but what are you talking about?

That's not the question I asked. You said he preyed on women, or I missunderstood you and he was actually perfoming some type of religous work with them, but I really thought you meant "preyed" like the lion and the zebra prey. Mr. Edwards collected 150 big fat ones for winning 63 cases involving CP. Given that he averaged 20% contingency, that means those women won on average around 80 million a piece. Next time I need a lawyer, I'm going to go find one that specializing in preying on me.

I'm no expert on CP but I know some numbers - it occurs in 2 out of every 1000 births. 10% of the cases are traced to lack of oxogen at birth, and 3% of those result in malpractice cases. Since there are 500,000 people with cerebal palsy in the US, that works out to 1500 happy lawyers. I'd say Edwards pursuing 63 cases was pretty reasonable, and if some doctor screwed up my kid I 'd hire him, because he works on contingency and he wins. I suppose I could just stay home and not get preyed upon, but I think having a severely handicapped kid to take care of for about the next 50 years might change anyone's mind on that.

I get the impression you think Mr. Edwards like, created phony evidence or swayed some jury with a bloody glove or something. This isn't some loser spilling MacDonalds coffee on his johnson, these are people who have had their dreams destroyed and their lives forever altered with unexpected burdens and sadness, and a jury decided this was due to the neglect of others after a big insurance company had every chance in the world to shoot them down. If I were the Republicans, I'd stick with crying about tobacco lawyers. Going after a guy who fights for people whose kids got messed up may not work out the way you planned with that old soccer mom swing vote.

I have a very good friend who's first son was severely oxygen deprived at birth, entirely due to the negligence of the hospital staff. The boy lived for more than 10 years, but never developed sufficienty to exhibit any responses to people or objects in his environment. My friend and his wife struggled tirelessly to try to get through to him, but never seemed to make any lasting impression or get a consistent response. It eventually ruined his marriage.

So, I can understand Kirk's perspective. No parent who actually knows a case like this one can sympathize with the agents responsible for rendering a child so hopelessly damaged. A strategy that makes Edwards out to be an evil doer for representing parents in such an unfortunate case is not likely to be a successful strategy. So I hope the Bush campaign spend all their money pursuing this path.

Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Yes, you just perfectly described what a tort lawyer is supposed to do, right down to the belligerent attitude. I don't understand your "time will tell" statement. Court cases are usually pretty much over for everybody when the judgements are paid.

Narwhal, where are you when we actually need you, as rare an event as that might be.

w126,

Hell, I routinely exhibit a belligerent attitude towards the medical profession. For the most part they are too used to having patients comply with prescribed "cures" without question. Try asking one of them a few real "technical" questions sometime and see how they respond. My most belligerent attitude was summoned when my Mom was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. I guess most people just believe what they are told, and assume doctors have the interest and time to really give each case a thorough analysis. It is my personal experience they accept far too many patients and fit each one into a set pattern of known symptoms and solutions. So, in many cases the medical profession deserves a belligerent response from the patients or their legal representatives. The medical profession is like the auto mechanic profession. Some doctors, like some mechanics are truly talented and cut out for the profession. Some are not. One of the differences is that an auto mechanic will rarely sacrifice a customer to save another auto mechanic's ass. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

As Mark Twain observed, when Doctors and Undertakers pass on the street, they wink at each other.

w126,

Hey, I did not enjoy the experience, but there is no lasting anger, or a desire to share random personal stuff here. I just don't find the medical profession particularly unique in terms of being right all the time, or undeserving of customer belligerence when they don't perform up to advertised expectations. Around here you are usually supposed to provide some evidence for your statements so I added the personal experiences. Not intended to solicit sympathy. But thanks and I still keep up with advances in cancer research, so the references to improved treatments being developed is appreciated.

Not that doctors are always wrong either, or that they don't attract an unusually high number of fraudulent, scheming sleezebags with lawyers. There are always two sides to a law suit. If Kerry's new running mate is smart enough to only represent the patients he believes have a legitimate case, and he wins those cases, I fail to see what the problem is. If he took all cases and won them all, I might be a little less dismissive of the implication you seem to be making about his ethics, (if not even more impressed with his ability to argue a case in front of a jury).

Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

they all lunch together different spoons same pot........

William Rogers.......

Thanks Jim and right on. BTW What do you call the guy that graduates LAST in his class at Med school? DOCTOR!

A bunch of people whining about doctors that couldn't get into med school if they wanted to and they whin about there jobs being outsourced hahaha.

If you don't like doctors and you think their so stupid don't use them its that simple, if your so damn smart you should operate on yourself.


I know a bunch of you are going to attempt to tell us that you were accepted to med school or law school so please spare us the BS.

I also think it's somewhat of a hoot that many of you were frying lawyers and now that you have to love one your having a big love in.


Thanks for the display of just how pathetic and lifless you guys really are.

You miss the point, but we made that easy. I don't dislike doctors or love lawyers particularly or at all. While that may seem to be the message this thread conveyed, it really was not what was intended.

The point was that Edwards being a good lawyer, as evidenced by him winning cases against doctors and large insurance companies for his clients, does not make him a bad candidate for Vice President, or somehow evil. That was really the whole point. The discussion got a little off track when an implication that anyone suing doctors was somehow guilty of misrepresenting their clients if they won a case that involved a good size financial settlement. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

I think good lawyers provide a valuble service to society and don't hold anything against him for being one, in fact its a plus in my book.

I know the republican media machine has been using trial lawyers as scape goats for years and I disagree with it. This is what seperates myself from the rest of you, I have the ability to admit fault in my own party and the ability to keep an open mind which is something I rarely see in the militant democrats.

I bet Michael Moore would be an acceptable president to you guys.

Well.................If you've seen F911 you'd know that at least Moore has read The Patriot Act, which puts him ahead of most of the bozo's we elected to represent us. MMMMMM.......Moore for President!?!?