Legal-Bay Lawsuit Funding firm says the landmark case is the
largest jury award for a personal injury case in N.H., and sends a
clear message for the framework of resolution not only for YDC
cases in New Hampshire but
nationwide.
CONCORD,
N.H., May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal-Bay,
The Pre Settlement Funding Company, announced today that a
New Hampshire jury awarded lead
plaintiff David Meehan $38MM for the
sexual abuse violations he suffered at a youth detention center in
the 1990s. The award granted $18MM for personal injury damages and
$20MM in punitive damages.
However, New Hampshire state
officials believe that under state law the award should only be
$475K, since attorneys Rus Rilee and
Nixon Peabody only proved one actual incident of abuse according to
the jury verdict sheet. $475K is the
cap on one-time incidents. The case will now head to Concord where the appeals process will begin.
This is known as verdict on appeal or judgment on appeal. "How this
plays out from here is anyone's guess," says Legal-Bay CEO
Chris Janish. "Especially
considering that the $20MM in punitive damages may not be subject
to the $475K cap."
The state made it known about the cap, and since then, three
jurors have reached out to Rus Riley explaining that they felt
horrible about it, and felt misled by the jury instructions in the
case.
Legal-Bay has been a leader in sex abuse settlement funding for
over 10 years, beginning with Catholic clergy sex abuse cases. The
company claims to be the first company to begin funding YDC
cases several years ago, and has followed the Meehan case
closely.
Chris Janish further commented,
"The case has so many far reaching elements to it that it's hard to
sum up in words. But one thing is certain: the jury has spoken loud
and clear. For victims, it is still sad to see that despite
overwhelming evidence and gripping testimony by a brave plaintiff,
powerful organizations will continue to deny that anything ever
happened, or worse, attempt to discredit victims on the witness
stand as not being credible. This case stands as a bellwether for
how the framework of not only YDC litigations but so many
other sexual abuse litigations around the country from New York to California may play out. Government and
private defendants and plaintiffs, along with sex abuse lawyers and
their law firms should all take notice."
If you're a lawyer or plaintiff involved in an active sexual
abuse lawsuit of any kind and need an immediate cash advance
against an impending lawsuit settlement, please visit
Legal-Bay HERE or call toll-free at
877.571.0405.
Legal-Bay reports that the New Hampshire YDC litigation has over
1100 cases filed to date. When Legal-Bay began funding early
on—when no other company would—there were just eight plaintiffs.
The company says the other victims have David Meehan and Rus
Rilee to thank for their courage to take on the state in what has
become one of the most egregious criminal and civil violations of
children's rights in U.S. History.
It doesn't end there though, as YDC is not an isolated problem.
Litigations all over the country are emerging, and the
psychological damage caused by so many is beyond what normal
society can even comprehend. Legal-Bay is at the forefront of each
and every one of these litigations, doing their best to support the
victims to get their lives back in order and help them receive
justice. It isn't only about the money for Legal-Bay; it is about
the compassion to know that someone is in their corner, and will
believe survivors when the speak out about what happened to
them.
Amber Cardillo, Legal-Bay's head
of sex abuse funding, commented, "The patterns are almost all the
same with these cases; however, the damage can be different for
some than others. Why we strive to be the best settlement funding
company in Lit Fin is because we try to go above and beyond to help
these individuals manage their lives. As difficult as it is
to hear the egregious sex abuse stories, what is rewarding for
Legal-Bay is when we get calls of gratitude that our company has
helped turn their life around, whether by funding needed treatments
or putting a roof over their head."
Many plaintiffs ask Legal-Bay, "What is my case worth?" or "How
much is the average settlement amount of a sex abuse case?" and the
answers can be wide-ranging. Obviously, a $38MM verdict is out of
the norm, as most settlement amounts for sex abuse survivors will
be much less due to sheer number of people now filing claims.
Regardless of the amount awarded at final ruling, who knows what
will actually be collected when all is said and done. Appeals are
almost immediately filed in such cases, holding up payouts
indefinitely. Commercial litigation funding is available while
plaintiffs wait out a verdict on appeal, and large pre-settlement
funding can be obtained while the verdicts go through the appellate
process.
In larger cases involving organizations like the Catholic church
or Boy Scouts of America, settlements could be in the $100K range for even the worst abuses. In cases
with smaller class actions or mass torts (less than 50 people),
settlement ranges for the highest level of sex abuse settlements
can be between $500K and
$2MM.
If you're a lawyer or plaintiff involved in an active sexual
abuse lawsuit of any kind and need an immediate cash advance
against an impending lawsuit settlement, please visit
Legal-Bay HERE or call toll-free at
877.571.0405.
Janish, who has been involved in mass tort litigation funding
for close to 20 years, noted, "What most plaintiffs and even law
firms need to understand is that when the litigation gets larger
and larger and the damages are severe, there is only so much money
to go around. Cooler heads usually need to come together and be
realistic in resolving these large litigations where so much money
is at stake."
After the Meehan verdict, Legal-Bay believes the YDC settlement
fund will be expedited, as plaintiffs that have opted-in deserve to
be paid, or they too may seek to take their case to trial.
While YDC cases in N.H. are moving towards final resolution, but
that is not the case in many other litigations nationwide. There
are over 50K plaintiffs awaiting
justice in many youth detention cases nationwide, as well as other
specific litigations that will take time to resolve. Some of them
include:
- Mac Hall and Foster sex abuse
cases in Los Angeles, CA
- Southern California clergy
case
- New York and New Jersey
Catholic Diocese church cases
- New York foster care and
women's prison rape cases
The company is also seeing the same delays in other litigations,
such as the J&J talc lawsuits where serious incidents of
ovarian cancer or wrongful death may only produce settlement values
of $150K due to the 60K claims against Johnson &
Johnson.
Legal Bay's loan for settlement funding programs are designed to
provide immediate cash in advance of a plaintiff's anticipated
monetary award. While it's common to refer to these legal funding
requests as settlement loans, loans for settlements, law suit
loans, loans for lawsuits, etc., the "lawsuit loan" funds are, in
fact, non-recourse. That means there's no risk when it comes to
loans in lawsuit settlements because there is no obligation to
repay the money if the recipient loses their case. Therefore, terms
like settlement loan, loans for lawsuit, loans on settlement, or
lawsuit loan funds don't necessarily apply, as the "loan on
lawsuit" isn't really a loan at all, but rather a stress-free cash
advance.
Legal-Bay is known to many as the best legal funding company's
in the industry for their helpful and knowledgeable staff, and one
of the best lawsuit loan companies overall for their low rates and
quick turnaround, sometimes within 24-48 hours once all documents
have been received.
To apply right now for a loan settlement program, please visit
the company's website HERE or call toll-free at:
877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to answer any
questions.
Contact: Chris Janish,
CEO
Email: info@Legal-Bay.com
Ph.: 877.571.0405
Website: www.Legal-Bay.com
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SOURCE Legal-Bay, LLC