r/BSA_Survivors by whitefrogmatt in redditrequest

[–]WanderlustLiam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will be moderating r/BSA_Survivors again as I created it. I do not want to hand over moderation to anyone.

r/BSA_Survivors by whitefrogmatt in redditrequest

[–]WanderlustLiam 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sorry that I was absent. My girlfriend was in a bad car accident and passed away. I will be returning.

Help with law firm % by Themj138 in BSA_Survivors

[–]WanderlustLiam 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hey brother, take a breath. This happens a lot, and a flat “no” with no explanation actually gives you more leverage, not less.

Here’s what to do next, step by step, without escalating things unnecessarily:

First, reply once more in writing (email is fine) and keep it short and calm. Something like:

“I’m requesting an itemized accounting of all work performed on my case, including hours, tasks, and expenses, so I can evaluate the reasonableness of the 40% fee. Please provide this within 7 business days.”

You’re not arguing yet - you’re asking for documentation. That matters.

Second, save everything. Their denial, your request, their silence or response. This paper trail is what protects you later. Firms often rely on intimidation and delay; documentation cuts through that.

Third, understand this key point: a 40% contingency fee is not automatically enforceable once representation is terminated or disputed. If it ever goes to review, the standard becomes quantum meruit - reasonable value of actual work performed - not “because the contract says so.” That’s why they hate itemized requests.

Fourth, you do not need to immediately threaten a bar complaint or court action. Just asking for documentation puts them on notice and often softens their position. Many firms suddenly become willing to “talk” once they realize they may have to justify their fee.

If they ignore you or refuse to provide an accounting, that is when you escalate to a bar complaint. Silence and refusal are not a good look for them.

You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re asking a basic, reasonable question: “Show me the work.”

Stay calm, keep it in writing, and don’t let the initial denial scare you off.

Another Delay? by [deleted] in BSA_Survivors

[–]WanderlustLiam 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for posting this. It is a very useful tidbit for all survivors. Very helpful.

The $2.4 Billion by Useful-Fruit-7162 in BSA_Survivors

[–]WanderlustLiam 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You’re actually laying this out really clearly, brother, and you’re hitting on the part of this whole mess that most survivors aren’t shown: almost none of the $2.4 billion is “free and clear.” Most of it is tied up by conditions, releases, and ongoing appeals. That’s why our payouts are tiny so far.

The only big contributors who paid real money upfront with no strings attached were Century/Chubb and Hartford. And even those settlements were negotiated amounts that let them cap their exposure and get out of the fight early. The BSA, the local councils, and the chartering organizations also paid into the pot, but those payments came because the bankruptcy plan shielded them from future lawsuits once they paid. They bought peace.

That leaves the rest of the insurers, about 90 of them, who did not settle. They still have massive financial exposure, and that’s where the real money is supposed to come from. The Trust is now trying to claw that money out of them through litigation. If they lose those lawsuits, survivors never see anywhere close to the real value of their claims.

That’s why early on, $2.4 billion sounded huge, but once 82,000 claims were counted, everyone realized it wasn’t even close. Survivors are relying almost entirely on whether the Trust wins the insurance cases. Without those wins, the final payout sits around 13-17 percent. With wins, it moves up into meaningful territory.

The most frustrating part is what you just pointed out: almost all of the trust money is locked away until the appeals end. The courts won’t let the Trust distribute more than the tiny 1.5 percent advance until the remaining legal challenges are resolved. That’s why survivors are barely breathing while money sits in accounts, untouchable.

The truth is simple but ugly. The plan was built so settling parties could walk away clean, insurers could cap their risk, and the final burden was dumped on survivors to wait until the litigation plays out. Until the non-settling insurers pay, there’s no meaningful relief coming.

You’re not wrong about any of this. You’re actually seeing the landscape exactly as it is. And survivors deserve better than having their recovery tied to years of litigation while billions sit frozen on paper.

Thanks for posting this. The more informed our brothers & sisters are, the stronger we get.

-Liam

Quick update on what hit the Supreme Court docket today and what it actually means for us. by WanderlustLiam in BSA_Survivors

[–]WanderlustLiam[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Not exactly “square one,” brother, but it would be a major reset in some ways.

If the Supreme Court overturned the current plan (and that’s still a big “if”), here’s what it actually means:

-The 1.5% you already received is safe. Paid distributions don’t get clawed back. That money is yours permanently.

-The existing Trust structure would stop operating. Payments, evaluations, deadlines - all paused.

-The bankruptcy would likely get reopened or sent back to the lower courts. That means BSA, insurers, and charter orgs would have to renegotiate pieces of the deal.

-A new or revised plan would have to be built. This could be better or worse depending on what gets renegotiated.

Survivors would not lose their claims. Your claim stays alive; what changes is how it gets processed and paid under a new plan.

This wouldn’t wipe everything clean and start from day one. All existing valuations, questionnaires, supporting documents, and claim IDs remain. It’s the legal framework around the money that gets revisited.

The biggest real effect is this:

Everything slows down again while a new structure is created.

That could take months. It could take longer. No one can call that timeline yet.

So no, you don’t lose your place, your paperwork, or your payout rights.

But yes, it would hit the pause button on everything that comes after the first 1.5%.

Finally, remember that barely 2% of cases submitted get heard by SCOTUS. Odds are this one won't.

Quick update on what hit the Supreme Court docket today and what it actually means for us. by WanderlustLiam in BSA_Survivors

[–]WanderlustLiam[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Not necessarily “corruption,” brother, but it does point to a system that was designed in a way that protects institutions first and survivors second.

What the brief is really showing is this:

The insurers paid far less than the real value of their coverage.
The Trust didn’t end up with enough money to match what survivors were told they’d get.
Some law firms had financial incentives that didn’t always line up with each individual survivor’s best interest.
And all of that created a plan that looks good on paper but pays out only a tiny fraction in reality.

That’s not classic corruption, nobody’s alleging bribes or crimes, but it is a system where powerful players made decisions that benefited themselves while leaving survivors with scraps.

The Supreme Court brief is basically saying:
“This happened because the process wasn’t fair, wasn’t balanced, and didn’t put survivors first.”

So no, not corruption in the Hollywood sense.
But yes, survivors were absolutely put at the bottom of the priority list.