When there’s a good deal on the table, it’s best to take it and run. That’s the case, at least for the ovarian claimants in Texas who are currently considering a billion-dollar payout to settle their talc litigation once and for all. After years of trial and tribulation, these claimants now have a chance to get the favorable settlement they deserve.
What’s more, the power rests with the claimants to make the call—not the trial lawyers, who may benefit from more days in court on the matter when, in actuality, taking these cases to trial does not guarantee the claimants will receive the recovery they are looking for. In fact, it runs the risk of them losing it all, which would be an unfavorable outcome for the consumers who likely want to close the books on this chapter.
Years of faulty evidence and flawed expert opinions linking talc exposure to ovarian cancer have been tossed around, delaying consumers from receiving fair compensation in awarded damages. As it’s becoming less clear whether their claims were being taken legitimately, this plan was proposed to offer them a clear path forward and a huge payout over the next 25 years. This isn’t some short-change deal, either. Attorneys representing the vast majority of claimants have agreed that this plan is the most effective way to address their needs.
Ultimately, these claimants' best interests have gotten caught up in our convoluted and slow-moving legal system. However, if a majority of them agree to accept the deal, they will get the compensation they’ve been seeking and end this litigation for good.
Editor's Note: The above guest column was penned by Bill Hammond, co-founder of Bill Hammond and Associates. Hammond is also a former CEO of Texas Association of Business, a former state lawmaker and small business owner. The column appears in the Rio Grande Guardian with the permission of the author.
