LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — In “Sinking Settlement Hopes” Information 19’s ongoing investigation right into a infected consuming aqua lawsuit agreement now reveals annoyed Lawrence County citizens have taken steps to attempt and bundle agreement bills during the courts or thru lawsuits to the Alabama Bar Affiliation.
However thus far, apparently the ones citizens stay in a felony maze.
The point of interest of the resident lawsuits is a 2018 lawsuit in opposition to 3M and alternative PFAS chemical makers and the West Morgan East Lawrence Aqua Authority over chemical contamination of native consuming aqua. The lawsuit was once settled in 2022 via 3M for an undercover quantity.
PFAS was once declared hazardous via the Environmental Coverage Company previous this day.
Hundreds signed up for the lawsuit filed via the Anniston-based regulation company Stewart and Stewart. However a number of citizens have instructed Information 19 over the hour day they didn’t obtain an anticipated lawsuit agreement charge – in most cases round $3,500 – although they signed up for the lawsuit. Those self same citizens let us know they’ve had problem getting solutions from their legal professionals.
In our actual tale, we discovered a minimum of six Lawrence County citizens have filed proceedings since December in opposition to lawyer Taylor Stewart, of Stewart and Stewart which treated the tainted consuming aqua lawsuit in opposition to 3M and alternative events.
In the ones contemporary proceedings, which all declare the plaintiff was once no longer paid his or her aqua agreement take a look at, the citizens gained a default judgment upcoming Stewart didn’t reply to their claims. The nearest step was once to attempt and bundle at the judgments, however data display makes an attempt at garnishment had been unsuccessful. And, Alabama courts don’t deal with lawsuit judgment collections.
Information 19 has made various makes an attempt to speak to legal professionals at Stewart and Stewart however the ones requests have long past unanswered.
Lawrence County resident Sharon Murray instructed Information 19 that her cousin Eric Tyrone Billings is still wondered and every now and then threatened via annoyed citizens who consider Billings is aware of concerning the lawsuit agreement assessments. Billings is the indexed govern plaintiff within the 3M case. However Billings instructed Information 19 latter day he by no means signed up for the case and not had touch with the Stewart regulation company.
Murray has taken a distinct method. She has amassed greater than 120 lawsuits from section citizens — alleging non-payment of lawsuit settlements via Stewart and Stewart. She mentioned she submitted the ones lawsuits to the Alabama Bar Affiliation by way of qualified mail in December, January and Would possibly.
The Alabama Bar Affiliation instructed Information 19 its laws don’t permit it to verify whether or not an investigation is being performed. Murray mentioned upcoming months of negative reaction from the Alabama Bar she stated to an investigator latter year.
In an interview with Information 19, Murray mentioned the investigator instructed her he’d spoken to Stewart and Stewart and was once instructed the entire citizens have been paid. Murray mentioned she’d additionally been instructed via the Alabama Bar investigator they’ve gained a immense collection of lawsuits concerning the company from other communities in Alabama, no longer simply Lawrence County.
Murray mentioned extra investigation is wanted.
“They have received over 1,300 complaints from people that weren’t getting paid and people are not just going to jump up and lie to get something when they know it can be investigated and found out,” Murray mentioned.
Murray mentioned the investigator has requested for extra evidence of the claims of non-payment. She mentioned she was once at Wheeler Chapel Church at the nights masses of community signed up for the lawsuit and she or he stored data of what the legal professionals supplied. Murray mentioned she’s submitted the ones fabrics to the Alabama Bar Affiliation investigator.
Information 19 additionally discovered all over our investigation that many citizens didn’t obtain a receipt or download a booklet in their sign-up mode or homogeneous subject matter, retirement a unclouded hole within the talent to turn out a declare.
As a part of our investigation, Information 19 stated to section citizens who have been enlisted to enroll their neighbors for the lawsuit. The ones charged with accumulating signatures say they proceed to listen to from community they signed up – that they haven’t been paid.
Murray has been pushing for a bar investigation for almost six months and she or he instructed Information 19 the try isn’t for herself however for her family members and neighbors. It’s about greater than the $3,500 charge, she mentioned, however for a beggarly nation, that cash would produce a remaining for community.
“It might not seem like a whole lot to some people, but this is a poor area. I don’t like to say it like that. But this is a retirement community,” Murray mentioned. “Everybody didn’t work at a factory or something like that, where they get a nice pension once a month and Social Security.”
“Some of them are living off a $600 or $700 Social Security because they picked cotton out down Dave Martin plantation. So this little extra helps. It’ll help pay a bill and It’ll help buy some groceries. Basically, it would help.”
Murray says she’s doing the paintings with one objective in thoughts.
“My hope is that they get it. That’s my hope. That’s my prayer. That they get what they were promised.”
RELATED:
