Tom Hudson and Judge Kevin Ross of "America's Court" having dinner together at Michael's on East.

Judge Kevin Ross, of the syndicated television show “America’s Court,” was in Sarasota this week, promoting the show and Entertainment Studios.  Tom was delighted to have dinner with Judge Ross at Michael’s on East, the premiere dining establishment in Sarasota.  They traded war stories from their mutual histories as radio hosts and trial lawyers.

Claims Manager Jeanna Johnson was recently awarded her All-Lines Adjuster license from the State of Florida.

We haven’t added personnel, but the Hudson Law Office just got one adjuster richer, as Claims Manager Jeanna Johnson completed her course work and became a Certified All-Lines Adjuster licensed by the State of Florida.  Jeanna, who has been an important part of the Hudson Law Office since September, 2005, has learned a lot on the job about insurance claims and property and bodily injury insurance.  But in the summer of 2011, she decided to get the formal training that would make her the equal of the insurance company adjusters she deals with every day.

It was a hard battle, and Jeanna spent many a lunch hour studying her course materials instead of playing poker with the rest of us in the conference room.  But it’s worth it!  We are all very proud of her motivation and delighted that her increased expertise will benefit the good people who come to the Hudson Law Office when they are injured by someone else’s negligence.

The All Lines Adjuster license of Claims Manager Jeanna Johnson

The Board has grown significantly in the last several years, and is now considered one of the foremost voices in the State of Florida for the attorneys who speak for injured citizens.  Tom Hudson has been a member of the MTLB for several years, since shortly after its founding.  However, on December 15, 2011, at the quarterly meeting of the MTLB, Tom was asked to become an officer of the organization.  He will be serving as secretary of the group and will, with the other officers, be tasked with developing the organizations’s website, listserv and a library of resources for members to battle on behalf of the injured.

Tom and Pippi "Out and About" supporting the Animal Rescue Coalition

Last week, Tom and Pippi attended “Party Like an Animal,” the Grand Opening of the new Animal Rescue Coalition Adoption Center in downtown Sarasota.  ARC headquarters were moved over the summer, to provide a storefront close to the action.  Now every Saturday, when the Sarasota Farmers Market operates, adoptable kittens will be just a few steps away.

On November 11, 2011, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune published pictures from the event, including a Pippi surprise-attack on Tom’s right ear.

Tom and Pippi are proud and happy to support the work of the Animal Rescue Coalition–especially the ARC Emergency Medical Fund, which is the fund that paid for the surgery that saved Pippi’s life.

Can’t you support ARC, too?

Frequently, local news stories involve legal issues which touch the lives of all of us.  Tom’s ability to explain complicated issues in down-to-earth ways makes him a go-to guy for reporters trying to clarify our complicated world.  When the issue of red-light cameras came up in late October, Max Winitz asked Tom his opinion.

Local – WWSB ABC 7 MySuncoast Florida

The Make-Believe Problem of Class-Action Lawsuits

It’s not unusual to hear complaints on talk radio or cable talk shows about the so-called problem of class-action lawsuits. The discussion usually centers around the issue of whether it’s fair that some lawyers bring forward a class-action lawsuit, make a million dollars in attorney fees and share a few dollars or a gift certificate with all the members of the group or “class.” Not fair, right?

It may seem unfair if you aren’t familiar with what class-action lawsuits are meant to do. Here’s the type of problem that class actions were intended to correct…

Suppose I own an electric company and I figure out a way to overcharge each of my customers by ten dollars. Millions of customers! That’s tens of millions of dollars for me!! And since each customer only lost ten dollars, who is going to hire a lawyer to try to get it back?

What a great scam! Even if it’s discovered, most people simply write off the loss as being too small to worry about. But as the electric company owner, I have hit the jackpot to the tune of ten million dollars!

That’s the type of wrong that class actions are intended to correct. And without class actions, the wealthy can nickel-and-dime people, safe in the knowledge that the individual losses are too small to bother with.

How do class actions solve this problem?

In a class action, a lot of people can act together to recover those little overcharges. One lawyer acts for everyone, so it becomes economically feasible to go to court.

Here’s how it works: One victim gets a lawyer. If that lawyer can convince the judge that there are a large number of similarly-situated victims, then the judge can “certify” the class. Once a class is certified, then any victim who does not specifically object is automatically included.

At the end of the case, all of the members of the class get their ten dollars back, less the fee for the attorney who brought the suit. Sometimes, that fee is a million dollars.

Now, a million-dollar attorney fee may seem like a lot. And it is. But class actions involve a lot of time and are very risky. If the wrongdoer goes out of business, all of that work may be for nothing. The bottom line is this: The purpose of class actions is to recover money that was stolen from individuals.

Isn’t it better to return most of the money, less the attorney fee, than it is to allow the “thief” to keep it all?

Tom Hudson, Sarasota/Bradenton/Key West DUI and personal injury attorney for The Hudson Law Office, attended the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) intensive, 3-day national summer session held at Harvard Law School, July 28-30. This annual training session is recognized for assembling the best and most experienced experts in DUI defense.

The legendary F. Lee Bailey (pictured with Tom Hudson) was this year’s keynote presenter and shared his acclaimed cross-examination methods.

NCDD is dedicated to the identification of lawyers who possess an enhanced level of skill and expertise and to the development and improvement of the professional competence of lawyers.

Tom is the only lawyer in the State of Florida who has successfully passed the National Board Certification Examination given by NCDD, which is the only organization accredited by the American Bar Association to award Board Certification in DUI Defense.