More lawsuits coming soon!
marc
3,126 Posts
I was having a sleepless night (why is a different story), turned on the TV and saw an advertisement by some local attorneys looking for people who had worked for the insurance industry and another industry I don't remember. I believe they were looking for telephone marketing people and the gist of their pitch had to do with working lots of hours and not getting paid.
"You earned, why not get paid?" was the closing statement.
Statements recently made that the majority of cases in the courts today are employment related. Now the attorneys (and I know it is not all of them) are not only soliciting for accident cases, and breast augmentation cases on TV, but employment law cases. Where will this end? I guess they will pull a Van into the parking lot and start asking the EEs how their day went as they exit the workplace. Or perhaps driving down the street with the loudspeaker blaring "...have you got a grudge against your employer?"
Just struck me as over the top, but see more of it coming our way.
"You earned, why not get paid?" was the closing statement.
Statements recently made that the majority of cases in the courts today are employment related. Now the attorneys (and I know it is not all of them) are not only soliciting for accident cases, and breast augmentation cases on TV, but employment law cases. Where will this end? I guess they will pull a Van into the parking lot and start asking the EEs how their day went as they exit the workplace. Or perhaps driving down the street with the loudspeaker blaring "...have you got a grudge against your employer?"
Just struck me as over the top, but see more of it coming our way.
Comments
It's getting to be a crazy world out there!
I saw a sadly funny comic strip in this Sunday's Globe -it was a scene of a stage at a Tort Lawyers convention and the speaker says something like "Come on everyone, loud and clear, lets put the "sue" back in consumer" .
This law actually encourages ee's to sue their employers for things like wage claims on behalf of other employees, (even if the state doesn't pursue any claim).
Then the employee and lawyers will share in the penalties that the employer must pay! And of course if the employer loses they must pay the lawyer fees for the employee also!
So you can thank CA for taking all of your lawyers since they will all be moving here to get a piece of the action. th-up
As was pointed out, lawyers do not decide how much money a plaintiff will receive. The nonlawyers who sit on the juries make that decision. When I hear or read the attacks on lawyers, I always ask managers of companies how many times have they tried to get out of "wasting" their time on juries.
In addition, I have found it very difficult to get companies to respond to legislative initiatives that effect employment matters until it is too late. The reason I've consistantly been given is "I'm busy and it won't affect me." If companies are not willing to look out for their own interests, then who will?
Finally, employers have to look to how they treat their employees. For example, I'm aware of a number of employers who take the position regarding the payment of overtime that they will not do so until forced by the government. I'm also aware of a number of employers who try to avoid paying FICA and unemployment taxes by designating all of their employees as independent contractors and terminate those individuals who question these practices. Not only do these employers place an unfair burden upon all of you who try to comply with the law, but they create an environment that fosters hostility to employers.
Another example, is the conduct of top corporate officers. Shall we only look to ENRON and Global Crossing? Did they sell out their employees? How many times have top corporate officers taken bonuses and large pay raises while cutting staff, freezing wages, and increasing the work load on all the nonfavored employees. This "new paradigm" does not help employers in the eyes of employees, even employees who should be favorable to management.
I know that this may sound like a Dennis Miller rant. However, I believe that it is too easy to blame the lawyers. (By the way, I defend employers and deal with plaintiff attorneys from around the country).
Vance Miller
Editor, Missouri Employment Law Letter
Armstrong Teasdale LLP
(314) 621-5070
[email]vmiller@armstrongteasdale.com[/email]
Thanks for responding. I know there are plenty of attorneys that work our side of the fence. I have personal experience with your firm from a stint in St. Louis several years ago. Armstrong Teasdale is a definite top shelf shop, in my opinion.
There is no doubt that the abuses you listed occur and all of us that try to do it right get caught in the backsplash.
That said, my frustration is that the "ambulance chasing" has reached a new low and the late night pitches on cable TV (when the rates are low), will no doubt catch some people with their get rich pitch. Some of them will even be genuine victims and some will not. But in the meantime, it will mean more of this rather than less. That may make our HR positions even more valuable, but I still do not look at that result as a gift horse and would rather it did not happen.
>his book.
Grisham is not only from MS, but he is also a former Attorney. He now spends about half of his time in a horse farm in VA near the place i grew-up. HIS horse farm makes the house you guys speak of look like the ghetto.