Unnatural Causes1986

closing title scroll:
In 1984, Maude DeVictor was dismissed from the V.A. in a labor dispute. In the summer of 1978, a Vietnam veteran, Paul Reutershan, initiated the first individual Agent Orange lawsuit, which grew into a series of class action lawsuits against the chemical companies. - In the consolidated case, Federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein stated that, as of 1984, scientific research had not been able to prove that Agent Orange exposure caused the veterans' disabilities, adding, however, that "Many lives have been broken by the Vietnam experience. The suffering ones deserve our aid... Whether their hurt can be traced to Agent Orange... is beside the point in the broader context of the nation's obligations to Vietnam veterans and their families." Weinstein concluded that the $180 mio settlement agreed to by the companies and the veterans was reasonable and in the public interest. - Some veterans and their families have appealed the settlement.