Mr. Jones wrote:$3.5 billion for relief aid to Afghanistan for food, medicine, etc ..
$3.5 billion for U.S. citizens effected by the 9/11 attacks...I think put into trust funds? For families of the casualties?
Only a little over 150 people from families whose members died during 9/11 attacks are in the class action suit?
By my math that comes out to
$23,333,333.00 million per family...
W.T.F.???
This is on top of what they got from the U.S. government payout to those victims
I believe...
These families already got millions in compensation
Class actions take a small percentage (sometimes only one person) who has been affected and sue on behalf of all "similarly situated" individuals who comprise the "class." This prevents unnecessary, multiple, identical law suits.
They are also good because you can tag someone doing wrong in small amounts to lots of people. For example, a bank making an improper $.40 charge every month, for let's say 10 years. No one in their right mind would sue the bank for $50. But, multiply that by, let's say, a million customers- well that adds up to be enough to file suit over.
So now, take the 3.5 billion and divide it by 3,000 dead to get a rough figure per family (not per survivor). That's about $1 million per family.
Finally, imagine yourself sitting on a jury for a 9/11 wrongful death case against Afghanistan for its role in the tragedy and being charged with awarding damages to a family with three kids. How much would you be inclined to give them?
A hell of a lot, all things considered.
Having said all that, there are certainly some class action abuses that go on, but much less than most would think...