An unusual report by "60 minutes" detailed a successful effort by plaintiff lawyers to milk a large settlement out of a chemical company. An accidental release of sulfuric acid near Richmond, California, harmed very few people according to local doctors, yet emergency rooms were jammed with complaining patients, often holding children. Most, it turned out, were sent there by squads of lawyers who had worked the neighborhood signing up clients. Fearing an adverse local jury verdict would be worse, the company settled out of court and paid out $150 million to an incredible 65,000 claimants. Plaintiff's attorneys took away almost $50 million.

†