Last Day to Register!

TODAY is the last day to register for the fly fisher’s dream – a handmade, Bamboo Fly Rod, worth over $1500.00.

Click here to enter!

You must be a Georgia resident and over the age of 18 years to enter.

The rod will be an 8 foot, 2 piece 5 weight split cane hexagonal rod made to the winner’s specifications and personalized just for them. This rod is valued at over $1500.00 and made from Tonkin Cane that has been imported from China and allowed to cure for over nine (9) months, guaranteeing it will remain straight and level throughout its lifetime. Featuring nickel silver ferrules and real seat with a beautiful wood spacer to accentuate the rod flaming pattern, this will become a family heirloom.

Handcrafted and made by Heirloom Bamboo Rods, the rod will be manufactured using only hand tools and with the authentic method used here in the United States for over 100 years. It is truly a piece of “functional art.”

So don’t wait, the registration ends today and one lucky Georgia resident over 18 will be the winner!

Johnson & Johnson Billion Dollar Verdict!

 

Mark Lanier in Houston, Texas convinced a jury that his client as well as 5 other plaintiff’s were victims of corporate greed. Putting profit over it’s concern for the injured, Johnson & Johnson was hit with a billion dollar verdict. Let me say that again – a billion dollar verdict!

“Officials of J&J’s DePuy unit, which makes the Pinnacle hips, knew the devices were defective, but failed to properly warn doctors and patients about the risk they would fail, the federal jury in Dallas concluded Thursday. The verdict includes more than $30 million in actual damages for the six plaintiffs and more than $1 billion in punitive damages, according to court filings.”

While this is not the first billion dollar verdict out of Texas, it certainly will not be the last. Read about it here.

What makes this interesting is that we all know the verdict will not stand. Texas tort reform has managed to gut any meaningful punitive damage verdicts, but it begs the question – Should it? A jury decided that the corporate greed was insufferable and a multibillion dollar mega corporation like Johnson & Johnson needed to be taught a lesson. Hence a large punitive damage verdict, that would attempt to correct this wrongful corporate behavior.

But it won’t stick – so exactly how has tort reformed helped the consumer?

Simple answer – it hasn’t. But it has allowed greedy corporations and insurance companies protect their wrongful behavior and insulated them from punitive damages, or punishment damages.

J&J has vowed to appeal and it will because it knows it can get the verdict cut down considerably and continue to produce harmful and dangerous products with minimal exposure allowing them to maximize profits while limiting their liability- just a business decision.

Congratulations to Mark Lanier and his team at the Lanier firm and to his client for finally being vindicated and bringing some justice for the victims and their families.