CLASS action lawyers are targeting flood-hit areas of Ipswich and Brisbane with a direct marketing campaign to whip up support for a major suit against Seqwater and the Queensland Government.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and class action backers IMF (Australia) have distributed a flyer encouraging victims to register for a legal class action on a "no win, no cost to you" basis.
Flood victims are urged to sign up for an information pack if they "suffered loss or damage caused or contributed to by water flowing from Wivenhoe Dam between 7 January 2011 and 12 January 2011."
Goodna councillor Paul Tully, who lost his family home in the flood, received the flyer this week and said it was dropped off to thousands of households across the suburb, in both flood and non-flood areas.
Goodna was the hardest-hit suburb in south-east Queensland, with 600 homes destroyed.
Cr Tully said it was a bold move to maximise the number of claimants to put pressure on the government to settle any class action out of court.
"I support what they are doing because it may be the only opportunity for flood victims to recover their losses after their insurance claims were generally denied by most companies," he said.
The letter to flood victims is signed by John Walker, executive director of IMF (Australia) Ltd.
"If sufficient support from flood victims exists and IMF's investig- ations prove fruitful, then proceed- ings will be commenced," it says.
"This project offers a professional and properly resourced investigation with the costs and risks assumed by IMF, enabling flood victims access to justice where they have a viable claim."
Sign up at www.goodnaflood.blogspot.com.au
25.2.2012
