Heinz Kerry settled suit for $15 million

[globalvillage]

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A lawsuit filed by Teresa Heinz Kerry after her first husband died in a midair collision in 1991 was settled for $15 million, according to newly unsealed court records.

Heinz Kerry sued the owners of the airplane on which her husband, U.S. Sen. John Heinz, was traveling, as well as the owners of the helicopter involved in the crash.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, errors in judgment by pilots of both aircraft caused the crash that killed Heinz, a Pennsylvania Republican and six others -- including two first-graders on the ground.

Attorneys for The Philadelphia Inquirer sought to unseal the settlement papers last year when U.S. Sen. John Kerry ran for president; Kerry married Heinz's widow in 1995.


http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/10/25/heinz.estate.ap/index.html

[Mass]

1. That's news?? This shows you how low the media will go

With all the problems around and the day before Kerry will make his speech on Iraq, AP pulls this old story. Just wonder why? :sarcasm:

(for those who have not read the AP release, the suit was settled in 1997.

[MH1]

2. Not that old

The article says the case to open the remaining records was only resolved this month.

A judge unsealed portions of the file in October 2004 and attorneys for the Heinz estate appealed his ruling. The case was settled this month, according to William H. Lamb, who represented the Heinz estate.

But they could've used a more flattering picture of Teresa. So I think your instincts are valid. And how long did they sit on the story - "this month" is rather vague - did they hold it for an opportune moment?

[karynnj]

3. That really is a very unflattering picture of Teresa

That the press even sought to unseal this during the campaign is pretty low. There is nothing that could possibly be in it that would have anything to do with John Kerry.

Even Teresa would only be involved as the grieving widow and Heinz was a passanger. Why would the press opt to bring up this painful time for Teresa in the middle of her husband's campaign?

Could you imagine the Bush outroar if the press brought up Laura's accident - where she was the driver, at fault, and the person killed was an ex-boyfriend? That she was never charged is strange.

[ginnyinWI]

4. I don't see it as that negative

Although I fully realize what the press would have done with it last year!
To me, it is part of the grieving process, and wanting to see incompetency punished so that it wouldn't happen again. Call the people to account to maybe failed in some way. To just ignore it without looking into it would be irresponsible. Sen. Heinz wasn't the only one killed.

[Mass]

5. This case was settled 7 years ago - Why do you think AP made his article

TODAY.

I have no problems with THK, but the intent of AP was certainly not good.

[LeftyLizzie]

6. This is now on the front page of AOL

I'm not sure what the big deal is, seeing as the case was settled a while ago. I'm also not sure why, in every one of these articles, the list Teresa's son Andre as "Andrew," - I guess they spelled it that way in the original AP report and no one has bothered to change it?