Everyone loves Erin Brockovich, right? But it was a trial lawyer that took her work to court. Many, Many cases really are about companies that have shirked their responsibilities. Edwards was responsible for several of these sorts of cases.The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night. Edwards filed suit on the Lakeys' behalf against Sta-Rite Industries, the Wisconsin corporation that manufactured the drain. Attorneys describe his handling of the case as a virtuoso example of a trial layer bringing a negligent corporation to heel. Sta-Rite offered the Lakeys $100,000 to settle the case. Edwards passed. Before trial, he discovered that 12 other children had suffered similar injuries from Sta-Rite drains. 12 OTHER KIDS!! The company ended up having to pay $25 million. That is why we need trial lawyers because there ARE companies who do that sort of math. As someone said, part of what Englisgh common law did was to try and present an even playing field for the powerless to be equal to the powerful. Everyone is egual under the rule of law. Well, that only works if you have a good lawyer. Edwards has been very good at leveling the playing field. A playing field that many conservatives have been trying to tilt in their direction for a long tim. 11:22:56 PM 
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