by John Darer CLU ChFC MSSC CeFT RSP CLTC
Can Settlement Planners Justify Their Existence Without Using Three Decade Old Examples?
A comprehensive settlement planner from the Bay Area, in a 2019 update to its website, highlights a 1987 New York incident as if it happened yesterday.
Events of 1987 Missed by Bay Area Settlement Planners
- The Simpsons first episode airs
- Zeebrugge MS Herald of Free Enterprise Ferry Disaster
- Televangelist Jim Bakker Scandal
- Klaus Barbie / Butcher of Lyon found guilty of crimes against humanity
- USS Stark a Frigate is attacked by an Iraq Air to Sea missile,
- After many years of research a new drug AZT is used for the treatment of AIDS.
- After a long period of growth the US stockmarket drops 22.6% in one day on October 19th and throughout the rest of the world major falls are recorded by the end of October with Hong Kong dropping by 45.8%.
- Muppet Baby Happy Meal toys were introduced
- Aretha Franklin is the first woman inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
- President Reagan tells Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
- WrestleMania 3 draws 78,000 to see Hulk Hogan defeat Andre The Giant
Comprehensive Settlement Planners' Sensational Headlines in 2019 About 1987 Legal Case
In 2009 I lambasted a then representative of the same Bay area settlement planning firm, who in September 2009 referred to the Lyons v MMIA case as recent when it was an 8 year old 2001 New York Appellate decision in the 2nd Department at the time
"Got to hand it to "newbie" BIll Tilley, law firm financier with Amicus Capital Services, LLC turned settlement planner, for staying on top of "current trends". On September 29, 2009 Tilley reported as "recent" that 'the New York Supreme Court recently caught a defense retained structured settlement broker with his hand in the cookie jar' ". I said back then.
So why is it necessary for Bay Area settlement planners to highlight it now?
Megillah the G-rillo
Some settlement planners still cling to the Grillo v. Pettiete legal malpractice case like it’s the golden rule of law, even though it’s practically ancient history. The real head-scratcher is why none of these so-called comprehensive settlement planners can dig up a single relevant case from the last two or five years to back up their claims.