Had a lawyer from the law firm that represents cancer patients who received diluted chemotherapy treatments attended Sunday's meeting, they would have heard anger and sorrow over the proposed settlement.
No one who spoke at the meeting at the Moose Lodge in Windsor talked about accepting the settlement. It works out to less than $1,500 per member.
Instead, those at the meeting signed sheets expressing intentions of either opting out of it or filing a notice of objection. They have until Wednesday to write a letter expressing their intent.
A woman reacts at a meeting of those who received diluted chemotherapy drugs, December 4, 2016. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
Some say they don't believe Sutts Strosberg LLP did due diligence in the suit.
"I still think we need to fight," says Sarah Johnson who was seven months pregnant when she received her treatment. "The lawyers who want $400,000 need to do something for that money."
Many in the crowd of about 50 wish the hospitals where they received their treatments had been named defendants.
"Our lawyer did not even name the hospital as a defendant. The hospital who looked at those bags and visually they were different sizes, and didn't question why for an entire year," says Johnson. "We're going after a drug company who got paid $2.58-million to mix those drugs and only has to settle for $2.53-million, so they still made money on us."
Louise Martens, who organized the meeting, says she was told she needed to provide the lawyer with a report from her oncologist that the wrongful dose may cause her harm. She says she thought that was the lawyer's job.
Family members, like Colleen Campbell who's husband died after receiving the dose, also spoke.
A man reacts at a meeting of those who received diluted chemotherapy drugs, December 4, 2016. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
"I'm not saying that my husband would be alive today. I'm not saying that," says Campbell. "But you know, if he were to live 57 more days he would have made it to his youngest son's wedding -- like, how do we put a dollar value on a day of living?"
Mimi Riberdy is dismayed at the amount. She believes the settlement reached for a sprained ankle sustained in a city park would be more.
On Friday, lawyer Sharon Strosberg told BlackburnNews.com she wanted to attend the meeting but had to attend an out of town event with her daughters. She said she had asked a colleague to attend in her place. The lawyers were not invited to the meeting, and it does not appear one attended. Martens says the meeting was held in a public venue and a lawyer would not have been barred from entering.
A judge is expected to rule on the settlement in a Windsor courtroom at 10:30am January 10. Those at the meeting vowed to pack the courtroom to show their displeasure with the proposed agreement.