MDL 381 in re Agent Orange

May 07, 1984

OUTCOME: Class Action Settlement

Lead counsel for the Viet Nam combat veterans and their families in the Agent Orange class action litigation against the war contractors who manufactured and sold phenoxy herbicides contaminated with t ... he uniquely toxic 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin. Established that many of the diseases and deaths among the Vietnam combat veterans were the result of damage to their immune systems as a result of exposure to dioxin contaminated chemical defoliants. Established that Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon as well as Generals Maxwell Taylor, Creighton Abrams, and William Westmoreland had no knowledge that the herbicides used during the War in Southeast Asia as an alternative to heavy artillery and napalm were contaminated with dioxin. Established that the war contractors deliberately concealed their knowledge that the herbicides were contaminated with dioxin and deliberately misled the Department of Defense about the toxicity of dioxin contaminated herbicides. Forced the war contractors and their insurance carriers to create a trust fund for the benefit of the Vietnam combat veterans who were suffering from diseases, dying, or dead as a result of physiological damage associated with their exposure to dioxin contaminated herbicides in Southeast Asia.

Dow Chemical, et al. v James R. Allen, et al.

Feb 25, 1982

OUTCOME: Quashed subpoena for raw scientific data.

During the Agent Orange litigation; Dow Chemical sought to obtain the raw data from a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin prior to publication of the data and a report of the results in ... a peer-reviewed scientific journal. If they were successful, the young researchers on the team might have been denied their PhD degrees because of premature disclosure of their research. The research involved establishing the toxicity of dioxin to primates (monkeys) and the preliminary results already indicated that dioxin was much more toxic to primates than to rats and mice. On behalf of the Vietnam combat veterans, I intervened and the United States District Court in Madison, WI quashed the subpoena. Dow appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit which affirmed the decision to quash the subpoena establishing a basic principle of Academic Freedom.

Envirtonmental Defense Fund v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Nov 27, 1969

OUTCOME: Injunction granted

Successful action against the Army Corps of Engineers to restrain further development of the Cross Florida Barge Canal until the true social costs and actual public benefits had been determined. Thi ... s was the first presentation of an "Environmental impact Statement" in a lawsuit over a national public works project and provided the first example of an environmental impact assessment following the draft provisions of the soon to be enacted National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Bloom v. Property Owners Association of Port Jefferson

Dec 31, 1963

OUTCOME: Plaintiff discontinued suit

Defense of the editor and publisher of the weekly Port Jefferson Sentinel accused of libel for publication of a topical satirical poem concerning the politically inspired opposition to the Port Jeffers ... on Village incorporation.

in re Incorporation of the Village of Port Jefferson

Oct 01, 1963

OUTCOME: Incorporation of the Village of Port Jefferson, NY

Freeholders & Commonalty of the Town of Brookhaven v. Acker, et. al.

Sep 30, 1963

OUTCOME: Settled

Action against major oil companies, sand and gravel operators and the Brookhaven Town Board for conspiracy to deny the Freeholders & Commonalty of the Town of Brookhaven the benefit, use and enjoyment ... of Port Jefferson Harbor.

Trustees of the Freeholders & Commonalty of the Town of Brookhaven v. Incorporated Village of Oldfield

Jun 01, 1962

OUTCOME: Declaratory Judgment granted

Establishing the rights of the Freeholders & Commonalty of the Town of Brookhaven guaranteed under certain seventeenth century colonial charters to the benefit, use and enjoyment of more than five mile ... s of beach along the shore of Long Island Sound.

Carol A. Yannacone v. Associated Universities; Brookhaven National Laboratory

Sep 22, 1960

OUTCOME: Claim established; award to claimant

Recovery of New York State worker’s compensation benefits for occupational disease arising from exposure to ionizing radiation.

Carol A. Yannacone v. Associated Universities; Brookhaven National Laboratory

N/A

OUTCOME: Claim established; award to claimant

Recovery of New York State worker’s compensation benefits for occupational disease arising from exposure to ionizing radiation.

Mouette v. SS Zeeliner

N/A

OUTCOME: Recovery of damages

Recovery of damages to a racing sloop sunk by the wake of a high speed ferry boat.