Chesapeake ran up $2.4 million bill to defend self in water suit

My late Parents said, in any legal situations involve Lawyer's, both side would be the looser's, except the Lawyer's would be the winner's, either you lose or win, they are getting paid for their work. In this case $300,000.oo shall be able to use for better purpose than just for the benefits of the so call "Individual Professional". As Lao Tze said If there are too many Laws then there would be too many frauds.

Chesapeake ran up $2.4 million bill to defend self in water suit
By the Associated Press

December 10 2004

CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- The city's successful defense of lawsuits accusing officials of failing to warn pregnant women about a harmful byproduct in Chesapeake tap water totaled $2.4 million, according to documents released by the city.

All but $300,000 went to pay two law firms: Williams Mullen, which has offices in Virginia Beach, and Breeden, Salb, Beasley & Duvall of Norfolk.

The firms began defending the city four years ago against hundreds of individual civil suits that collectively were seeking an estimated $1.8 billion from the city. The cases never made it to trial.

Last month, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that Chesapeake was immune from such lawsuits.

"It's an incredible amount of money," Mayor Dalton S. Edge told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. "It's unfortunate that we had to spend it, but I don't know if we had any choice."

The city is pursuing a claim against its insurance carrier to recoup all or a portion of the cost, City Attorney Ronald S. Hallman said.

The $2.4 million cost of the defense does not include the work done by government employees in the city attorney's office and elsewhere.

The Supreme Court ruling effectively nullified 212 lawsuits seeking nearly $2 billion--more than triple the city's annual $671 million budget.

The women alleged that city officials misled them about high levels of trihalomethanes, or THMs, in the city's drinking water. Some studies have linked THMs to increased health risks for pregnant women. Read More...

Chesapeake ran up $2.4 million bill to defend self in water suit