Katrina victims sue for 3 quadrillion dollars

[Monty22 833]

I think I just found Smacktard Village on the map. What kills me is these people live below sea level in a coastal region, and never saw anything bad coming from it.

Exactly. And because of our entitlement societey, they are "owed" compensation? I still can't get over the effort to rebuild there. What a waste.

[Ultimus 0]

There are things that need to be investigated, I was reading about ICE trucks or something being delivered from Maine or some NE state, being diverted back because they couldn't get through the blockade... I forget now.

I think after all that they ended up being sent back.

But there was also stories of the National Guard not helping till 3 days after.... that was also not the case they were right out there as soon as the hazardous conditions allowed them to perform search and rescue.

I also read that one of the main reasons one of the Levi's broke was because a boat was thrown into it....

I don't recall the details of all the stories but I'm sure they could be found.

The amount of money is absurd, but their was some negligence there. The problem is our government is going to spend more money on fighting this than it actually going towards something.

I agree the sueing needs to stop.... its absurd that Judges even allow these things to be brought to court...

From a personal perspective....

My "ex"wife left me, (rumors of cheating, missing time etc.) Gets a lawyer, then goes from just wanted to leave me, to it becoming my "behavior" now she is incapacitated can't live her extensive lifestyle, quit college because she wanted to help me pursue my career. Wants two types of restraining orders, FULL CUSTODY, me to support her with alimoney(spelled wrong intentionally) wants me to pay for the house while she lives in it... I have to leave it.... I have to pay child support. Carry her and the girls on insurance and a 250K life insurance policy.

I would have to carry three jobs just to support this.... that is not including my needs and the debts "we" incurred together. If I was a judge I would award the other party.

I may not have been the perfect spouse, but I never did anything wrong... every one has fights and arguments...

The # one thing this comes down to is money...

Its a joke somethings are allowed in court.

Sorry for the rant.

[bubber27 0]

It's a better move than having Kanye come speak for them publicly.

The look on Mike Meyers face during that is permanently emblazoned in my mind. Simply priceless!!

:P

[Jarick 5]

Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

:lol:

[chef_ducky 0]

That is a huge joke...

If the government actually gives her this they would be out so much money and look like a disgrace

[Engine37 0]

First, I think its worth mentioning that what happened to the victims of Katrina was really terrible. I really feel awful for all of the victims and their families.

Second, I think its also worth mentioning that these people all live about 8 feet BELOW sea level, ON THE COAST. They actually LIVE there. And it's not like this storm just popped out of absolutely nowhere. I doubt that one minute, everyone is hanging out having a barbeque on a sunny afternoon thinking everything is A-OK and then WOOOOOSH......there's a hurricane. Any human being in the area at that time had to at least be marginally aware of the storm coming. I wasn't there, but I'd be willing to bet the HUGE HURRICANE MOVING IN was mentioned on almost every radio station, TV station, etc.

And as if that wasn't enough, these people expect compensation?!

I hate to say it, but it seems to me that Katrina's victims are mostly victims of their own ignorance and some really bad luck.

[mrusse01 0]

I wasn't there, but I'd be willing to bet the HUGE HURRICANE MOVING IN was mentioned on almost every radio station, TV station, etc.

And as if that wasn't enough, these people expect compensation?!

Well what were they supposed to do, move their entire house, car, possessions, family to higher ground with a few days notice?

The claims are not because they were unaware of the dangers of living below sea level, they are primarily because of two issues: 1. The levees designed to protect much of the area were flawed from an engineering standpoint and failed causing massive flood damages. 2. The response to the disaster by FEMA and other governmental organizations was incredibly ineffective and resulted in further property damage/death/suffering than would have been the case with a reasonable response.

Think about it. If you lived in NO and the govt. said 'don't worry about flooding to a certain extent, we've got levees that will protect the city'...then a hurricane comes and well, 'sorry about that, the levees broke...your house and everything you own is ruined'. You'd be pissed too, and possibly rightfully entitled to some compensation.

[Monty22 833]

Whacked out Katrina Lawsuit dismissed, Joseph Bruno returns to chasing ambulances

[hockeydoc 0]

I wasn't there, but I'd be willing to bet the HUGE HURRICANE MOVING IN was mentioned on almost every radio station, TV station, etc.

And as if that wasn't enough, these people expect compensation?!

Well what were they supposed to do, move their entire house, car, possessions, family to higher ground with a few days notice?

The claims are not because they were unaware of the dangers of living below sea level, they are primarily because of two issues: 1. The levees designed to protect much of the area were flawed from an engineering standpoint and failed causing massive flood damages. 2. The response to the disaster by FEMA and other governmental organizations was incredibly ineffective and resulted in further property damage/death/suffering than would have been the case with a reasonable response.

Think about it. If you lived in NO and the govt. said 'don't worry about flooding to a certain extent, we've got levees that will protect the city'...then a hurricane comes and well, 'sorry about that, the levees broke...your house and everything you own is ruined'. You'd be pissed too, and possibly rightfully entitled to some compensation.

You're kidding, right!?!

I mean the one's that are pissed are the one's that were told to get out due to the storm coming. Yet they refused to leave. Then bitched that the damage was worse than they thought, and that's why the whole world should come bale them out. Yet the whole world did come bail them out. Including cash in hand. Instead of feeding their "claimed" starving children and obtaining the ever so precious shelter, they took the cash and bought furs, jewelry, and Escalades. Then bitched that the gov't had screwed them...

There has been independant organization providing food, shelter, and basically any other type of support imaginable, including relocation in NO ever since the storm. Yet they think they are still owed something. Their own Mayor and other local gov't including state, are the biggest one's to blame for the levies inadequacies. This is one of the premier tourest locals in the US ;) yet they haven't taken that money and put any of it back into improving their Cities infrastructure, including the levies. They had known for decades that the levies were vulnarable. They also new the city wide pump system that was supposed to keep the city from flooding every time it rained was failing. I was in NO 2 weeks before the storm hit, and every time a light rain hit the streets flooded, and stank horribly from the raw sewage that flooded up from the sewer system that was supposed to be being pumped back to the river...

I could go on, and would like to, but their's really no value in it.

Obviously their were things that the Fed could have done better, but to blame them, and expect them to bale out NO is bs. It is that mentality that puts a city like NO in the situation they were in to begin with. The law suites are drivin by that same lazy, trashy, entitled state of mind.

I would be pissed, but not at anyone and everyone I could possibly point a finger at. I would be pissed at myself for not being more intelligent and proactive concerning my choice of places to live, or at least for not getting better insurance. ;)

[Spreedizzle 1]

Case was dismissed due to legislature that states that the Army Core of Engineers cannot be held responsible for the failure of levees against the forces of nature. The prosecuting lawyer of course wants an appeal.

[gxc999 7]

Many of the victims were unable to leave due to a variety of factors. Some lacked cars, some were infirmed and/or elderly. If a case is prohibited by the legislature, that doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. Then again, suing the Government is never fun. I just asked one of my law prof's, who's a very successful litigator, and he told me it would be very difficult to succeed in this suit anyway. He wouldn't bother with it as Plaintiffs counsel.

[Chris 0]

I find it amazing how flawed some peoples view of what happened after Katrina is...most is due impart to the view the media portrayed everything in. I'm from the Mississippi gulf coast, my house was destroyed, I wasn't there, my family and I evacuated, but if you ask most people which areas were hardest hit, they would say New Orleans, mainly because of the news. For the most part New Orleans was only flooded, the Mississippi gulf coast was devastated, the city I lived in was essentially leveled, not just flooding but utter devastation, this devastation didn't just happen in one Mississippi city but the entire Mississippi gulf coast. These people in Mississippi are suing their insurance companies for failure to settle, and things like that which when a person has insurance and their insurance company fails to pay them when that person doesn't have a house, a job, a lively hood what are they supposed to do. A person can evacuate themselves but coming back they are left with nothing, so in many situations I can understand many lawsuits, to insurance companies at least. Anyway I didn't mean to rant but just wanted to open some eyes that New Orleans wasn't the only hard hit area, or in my opinion the hardest hit area.

First Pic, is downtown in my city

Second is a helicopter that landed in my aunts back yard bringing us ice right after the storm

3rd is my aunts house 7 or more miles inland destroyed by a tornado

[hockeydoc 0]

Wow, thanks for sharing. I guess I came across a little cold. My little rant is in no way meant to take away from the fact that they are all victims. Just my irritation that the squekiest wheels down there are not the most needy.

I spoke with the owner of S3 ( http://www.southernsportssupply.com/ ) just a week or so after the storm, and he too made it clear that NO was press central, but not nearly the hardest hit. He told me about his shop, and family in Miss that had been devastated.

I feel for all the victims, and do agree that ins. co's are sometimes the worst.

I have been involved with many of the organization providing food and shelter to the victims in NO and seen first hand those that are using the assistance to lift them up to move forward with their lives, as compared to the many that are just taking the free hand outs to postpond their taking any responsibility in moving forward.

No doubt it was a devastating storm that has left a path of many victims.

[Chris 0]

I definitely agree that some of the people raising the most hell aren't the people that deserve the attention and those deserving the attention get lost in the sea of crime and frivolous lawsuits that the media seems to harp on. I know the owner of S3 as well and he's a great guy, they have been a big help lately getting my hockey team off the ground. Glad to hear of your help, I too unloaded 18 wheelers of supplies and helped at a shelter while waiting to be allowed back into my neighborhood by the national guard to salvage things from my house. Again I'm not trying to paint a sob story or anything like that, I just wanted to give a bit of insight that I don't think most people that aren't from around here are exposed to.

[royals07 0]

i have a better alternative for the money if NO wins the case. MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE. NO is another disaster waiting to happen. unless of course you dont move, the hurricane hits you, and the city gets another couple of quadrillion dollars again.

[Chris 0]

so lets see...you're on a hockey team...playing a sport you love...but your team sucks and loses every game do you just quit and give up on them because things are bad? No I doubt it...the same goes for many Katrina victims, we grew up in places hardest hit by this storm, a place we love, and we're not just gonna give up and quit on it when things get bad. We're gonna rebuild and if another hurricane hits we'll rebuild again...because we don't give up.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Damn, your aunts house was beautiful. Sorry for your loss man.

[gxc999 7]

There can be precautionary measures taken against water and flooding yes, but the wind? Well, the wind is unstoppable for the most part. Any city can be wrecked by wind, it sucks but that's the ugly side of nature. As to the issue of flooding, yes, being underground hurt them, but ANY coastal city would've been ruined from a cat 3 or 4 storm. Name cities on the gulf coast that are adjacent to big bodies of water that weren't also flooded during a storm...