Tort Suit to be Filed Against TB Attorney
It almost had to happen–Atlanta trial attorney Andrew Speaker, now notorious as the lawyer who traveled internationally against doctor’s orders while infected with tuberculosis, is reportedly about to be sued by fellow travelers. But, contrary to stereotype, it isn’t an American plaintiff lawyer who’s going to file the case.
A Canadian attorney who practices in Montreal says he represents two of Speaker’s seat-mates as well as another fellow passenger on a Prague-to-Montreal commercial airline flight, and will sue the Atlanta attorney by the end of next week, reports the Montreal Gazette.
Anlac Nguyen says he will be seeking $100,000 each on behalf of Speaker’s seat-mates, whose vacation allegedly was spoiled, and $40,000 for the other fellow passenger on the Czech Airways flight, because he was seated farther away and thus is less likely to contract TB. Passengers also may undergo ongoing medical monitoring, although experts now say Speaker’s TB is less contagious than originally thought. (See previous ABAJournal.com post.)
Additional plaintiffs are welcome, Nguyen tells the newspaper, and can seek between $30,000 and $50,000 in damages, depending on their proximity to Speaker on the Prague to Montreal flight. But, the article continues, “[p]assengers who travelled with Speaker on an Air France flight from Atlanta to Paris cannot join the suit, since at the time, Speaker hadn’t been ordered not to fly.”
