Testimonials

Justice Begins With One Voice and Extends to All When Supported by You

One voice can make a difference

The recipients of this year’s Community Champion Awards, Donald Davis and Helen Haskell, show how one voice working tirelessly to protect the injured can make a difference. The support of the members of the Civil Justice Foundation in providing small grants to individuals and organizations who fight for consumer injury prevention, public safety protection, and the constitutional right to trial, allows the reach of these voices and organizations to be extended, heard, and to effect meaningful change.

I had the opportunity to be in attendance this summer when Donald Davis and Helen Haskell were each presented with the Community Champion Award. It was a moving experience as both honorees spoke regarding their life’s path which took them to a place where they turned their personal tragedy and grief into a movable force of action to protect the injured.

As a double amputee due to a podiatrist’s negligence in performing a podiatric anthroplasty, Donald Davis refused to be a victim. He first fought back with his attorney to hold the podiatrist accountable in pursuing litigation which resulted in a large verdict. Yet this was not all that Mr. Davis would do to fight. He took his tragedy, and used his voice to fight on behalf of others in his community and in the legislature. He seeks to make sure that other amputees and disabled individuals have the prosthetic limbs they need, and he fights to make sure that their rights are protected.

Helen Haskell also took action when faced with her own personal tragedy. Her son died as a result of medical errors and negligent medical treatment. As she spoke about her son and her path toward founding Mothers Against Medical Errors, I could not help but be struck by her courage. She has worked tirelessly to advocate in the legislature to protect the injured. When I listened to her speak I was amazed by her soft voice and demeanor. She seemed so quiet and so reserved, and so unlike my vision of a typical advocate, but yet she had taken her voice, her message, and she had acted and effected change. She reminded me immediately of the power of one voice.

As a trial lawyer I am constantly learning how to use my voice effectively as an advocate for my clients and hope to in a small way help my own community become a safer place. As the recent honorees remind us, the courtroom is not the only battleground. There are many grassroots organizations and individuals who need our help to have their voices be heard to effect change. They have the same goals as we do, but their reach and actions can have immediate impact as they are working directly in the community and the legislature.

Donating to the Civil Justice Foundation is perhaps the quickest and easiest way that I know of to help to promote civil justice in our communities. The impact of your donation is immediate and helps all of us.

I urge you to donate now to the Civil Justice Foundation. While there are many worthy causes which may seek your financial help, the Civil Justice Foundation is the most logical place for plaintiff attorneys to give their financial support. The reason that many of us went to law school and became attorneys was to effect real change. The Civil Justice Foundation supports the needs of our clients and our communities. Because the Civil Justice Foundation trustees are plaintiff attorneys they understand and share the passions that we have for civil justice and the protection of our clients. Financial support of the Civil Justice Foundation is an excellent way to make sure that real change happens in our communities. As the recent Community Champion Award honorees exhibit, there are individuals whose voices are powerful and need to be heard by others to effect change. I respectfully ask that you support those voices in making them heard so that justice can extend to all. Thank you.

- Carole A. Lohr

" Thinking back it was funny that a nurse about a week after losing my legs seven years ago told me that God had plans for me and to think I thought she was crazy. Little did I know how right she would be?

Also, realizing how important it has been to receive this award has meant not only to me but also to all those who I fight with daily to try to find ways to improve their quality of life. Being recognized by the Civil Justice Foundation was like the icing on the cake.

The time I spent the members of the Board Trustee Monday night gave such a wonderful feeling because they understood many of the challenges I face every day.

And with that all my praise and thanks goes to each and every member of the Civil Justice Foundation for honoring me as the Community Champion for 2007-2008."

- Donald S. Davis, Sr.

Dear Mr. Chester:

In July I was invited to attend a breakfast held by the Civil Justice Foundation during the AAJ Convention in Philadelphia. Although I am a fairly active AAJ member in my state, I had never heard of the Civil Justice Foundation. When I arrived at the breakfast, I was expecting nothing more than the typical long-winded trial lawyer “war stores” and a run-of-the-mill hotel breakfast.

My expectations were totally off base. I sat and listened to speaker after speaker who had been helped by the Civil Justice Foundation’s seed money. For example, I listened to Donald Davis, a double amputee, speak of his fight to change state and federal laws so that other amputees can get prosthetic limbs to enhance their quality of life. This man is on a mission to give disabled persons the rights and opportunities they deserve. The Civil Justice Foundation’s grant helped this man on his mission.

I also heard the soft-spoken yet passionate Helen Haskell speak about the tragic loss of her son as a result of unsafe medical hospital practice. She inspired me as she explained how she started MAME (Mothers Against Medical Errors) and uses this organization so that other families will not have to “sacrifice” their children to medical negligence. She encouraged every lawyer in that room to take on not just the easy cases, but the hard cases as well in order to force additional necessary change in the medical industry.

Finally we received or “call to action” from Governor Brian Schweitzer from Montana. He challenged every lawyer in the room to strive toward making both the present and future a better place for America.

I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to be at this breakfast and to learn of the great works being done by the Civil Justice Foundation. My only regret is that so few other people are aware of the Foundation’s deeds. Nevertheless, it is clear that through efforts, the Foundation is making a difference in the lives of ordinary Americans.

Very truly yours,

John R. Mininno