You Can't Sue The Big Guys.

       Just like coal, Old King Gas is a merry old soul. Why is gas so pleased with itself? Well for one thing they're pretty much free to do as they please and state and federal legislators are afraid to do anything about it. Take the case of a couple in northeast Pennsylvania where the governor, Tom Corbett, is known as belonging to the Gas Party. This couple and 40 other property owners sued Cabot oil & Gas for polluting their drinking water wells.
       On the advice of their lawyers, the other forty settled the case, unsatisfactorily. But, as is their right, this couple sued on their own. They couldn't find a law firm to represent just one client in this suit so they decided to sue without a lawyer. Now suing a large wealthy corporation all by yourselves is extremely difficult at best. However, a lawyer who had worked for the firm that had represented them and the other forty but now on his own, volunteered to help write some of the forms necessary to bring the suit. Eventually a second lawyer agreed to help.
        Are you following this so far?  Well, after many delays, the exclusive and expensive law firm representing Cabot has filed suit against the couple and the lawyers who helped them with the proper forms. Apparently it's against the law for a lawyer to help someone file a law suit if they claim they want to do so without legal representation. Did I explain the couple will not be represented in the suit by legal council. They still plan to do so. It seems that a person can't accept any help at all against a big law firm. Not even to make sure the paperwork is correct to start the process.
       By the way, did I explain that this all took place because of a drinking water well problem in 2009. So four years later and this thing hasn't even been looked at by a judge yet. That's what big expensive law firms do. They suck you dry with delays and counter suits until, presumably you give up. That's what makes King Gas happy. Not having to pay the person who's been harmed anything. Now, to be sure, this isn't the only case like this, nor will it be the last, nor is King Gas the only Oilcan Harry out there. Most large corporations look on lawsuits as a pesky fly to be avoided by any means possible. It's best to just outwait the fly, and the big law firm is on retainer to make sure of it.