Robert A. Clifford, Founder and Senior Partner at Clifford Law Offices, wrote an article titled, “Valuing ‘Worth’ Of A Life” for Chicago Lawyer Magazine’s December 2021 edition.
In this article, Bob writes about how September 11, 2021, marked 20 years following the tragic attacks on our country. In connection with that event, the Netflix movie, “Worth” was released. The movie is based on the events that followed the attacks, including how Congress set up the Victim Compensation Fund to help families that lost their loved ones avoid protracted litigation.
The movie was originally entitled, “What is a Life Worth,” and followed the memoir of Kenneth Feinberg, the Special Master of the Victim Compensation Fund. The movie brings to light the difficulty of putting a dollar value on a life or an injury, something that juries are asked to do at trial.
The Victim Compensation Fund distributed the $7 billion in funds to 97% of the victims’ families that avoided lawsuits against the airlines.
Bob advises and mentors lawyers to understand that clients do not come to them for a friend or a shoulder to cry on, they come to the lawyer for sound legal judgment and experience, and it must be done with a sensitivity not all possess. It is the job of the lawyer to handle litigation while the family grieves and comes to terms with the tragedy.
Click here to read Bob’s full article.