Does the GOP support disembowling little children?

[killbotfactory]

If not, then why would they attack Edwards when he helped a family who's five year old had her intestines pulled out through a drain in a wading pool.

The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. 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. For their part, Edwards and Kirby earned the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's national award for public service.

link

To quote the GOP: "A disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal and friend to personal injury trial lawyers."

We all know how much republicans hate it when you go after corporate crime, but come on... a five year old... intestines sucked out... It's pretty simple. SPA RITE BAD. EDWARDS GOOD.

Good luck attacking his character you fucking republican creeps.

[ProfessorPlum]

1. Yes n/t

.

[killbotfactory]

9. It's kind of a rhetorical question, isn't it?

nt

[arcane1]

2. Will they make money? Then yes, they do

[BillZBubb]

Only if it's not their children.

[northzax]

3. only poor ones eom

[Warpy]

4. Only AFTER they're born. nt

[yardwork]

5. Based on what they did in Abu Ghraib, apparently the answer is yes.

[Hubert Flottz]

The GOPers will do anything for money!

And they could care less who they hurt to get it!

[lovedems]

6. Not just one 5 year old. It looks like 13 children were harmed from the

drain.

Can you imagine the money the family will need to take care of her medical expenses for the rest of her life? Being hooked up to a tube every single night cannot be cheap.

Screw the GOP, if they cared about kids they wouldn't be leaving them our bills to pay off or a dirty environment.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. The GOPers would put the little girl to sleep like a dog!

It would save some rich bastard some money that the rich bastard could then contribute to the GOP campaigns and put in Jerry and Pat's collection plates!

[sandraj]

8. As Steven Colbert said

on the Daily Show last night, only the GOP could turn the word "friend" into an insult.

[newyawker99]

21. Hi sandraj!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Solly Mack]

10. but but...the price of owning a pool will go up! Think of the BBQ's!!!!

couldn't resist...

[killbotfactory]

12. "We ALL pay for it when companies are held accountable!"

"It's just some intestine! Walk it off!"

[Solly Mack]

14. Republicans are so predictable aren't they?

[Lars39]

11. gawdamighty!!!!

I remember reading about that! Made me absolutely paranoid about hot-tubs for a while. The heartbreak and misery those families are enduring...:( And think how much worse it would be without a monetary settlement to help.

[killbotfactory]

13. And the company would still be disembowling children

Just to save money replacing a friggin' drain.

[Zorra]

15. Yes. n/t

[ibegurpard]

16. Kind of off-topic

but how the hell does a drain pull out intestines?! :wtf:
that's completely amazing to me!

[killbotfactory]

17. Suction...

I gather the child sat on the drain and the suction pulled out her intestines out through the obvious oriface. Horrifying.

What's worse is that this wasn't the only incident, yet the company did nothing.

[ibegurpard]

18. That was what I was wondering

Jesus!

[yellowcanine]

19. That's exactly what happened. And a fairly simple redesign/retrofit could

have prevented this "accident". It would be one thing if it were the first one. But it wasn't. It had happened before a number of times. The company was criminally negligent.

[Hamlette]

20. Great talking point!

This is the kind of shit the GOP has used to define us for 40 years. We should give them a taste of their own medicine. When they say Edwards is a trial lawyer we say: so you're saying the GOP supports disembowling 5 year old children?