Lawsuits filed by the families of four Lee High School students killed in a 2006 school bus crash were settled by the bus company, Laidlaw Transit Inc., early Wednesday, said three attorneys who helped mediate the cases.

Several lawsuits have been settled over a Huntsville school bus crash that killed four high school students and left dozens injured two years ago.

Tom Methvin is a Montgomery Attorney who is chairing the Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force, a program put together by the Alabama State Bar.

Starting today, Alabama lawyers will answer a toll-free hotline to assist homeowners faced with foreclosure, according to the Alabama State Bar and Legal Services Alabama, two organizations that partnered to provide the service.

A vice president of the Atlanta branch of the Federal Reserve Bank and a vice president of RealtyTrac, a firm that tracks foreclosures, didn't deliver the good news that Todd Strange was looking for Wednesday.

Thomas J. Methvin began his legal career with Beasley Allen in 1988 representing victims of consumer fraud. He has served as Managing Shareholder of the firm since 1998. In 2007, Tom was featured in Fortune Magazine as one of America's Premier Lawyers, and was chosen by Birmingham Magazine as one of the Best Lawyers in Alabama in the field of personal injury and mass torts.

Due to the mortgage foreclosure crisis, Monday the Alabama State Bar and Legal Services Alabama announced their partnership with a plan to help Alabama homeowners remain in their homes. Thomas Methvin, State Bar President-elect tells WAFF 48 News, "It's a way to give back to the public and to try and keep people from losing their homes. There have been so many people that have been victims of predatory lending practices and we just want to make sure their rights are enforced before someone tries taking their house."

Lawyers in Huntsville will kick off a statewide program here today to assist homeowners in danger of losing their houses because of mortgage foreclosures, according to the Alabama State Bar Association.

The Alabama State Bar and Legal Services Alabama have joined to form a unique partnership with a plan to help Alabama homeowners remain in their homes. Both groups announced a public awareness and education campaign today.

Plaintiffs get close to $5B, but Merck could have done a lot worse.

Attorneys who spent nearly one year negotiating a $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement were left pondering a paradox. Since each side now is certain that the other is prepared for, if not relishing, a litigation Verdun, wouldn't it make better sense to settle after a minimum number of skirmishes?