It was a hot August day in Pittsburg, PA., when Bill Crispin and I walked into the hearing room on behalf of the farmers, who were denied full crop insurance benefits for freeze damage to their crops.[emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register now to read the rest of the article!”]
Bryan Meder, the crop insurance adjuster who investigated their claim, drove hours from his New York home to testify. Under oath, he stated his evaluation of the farmers’ claims that was provided to the company. He explained that he received a call directing him to lower his appraisal, which he refused, and was taken off the job.
He withstood an intense cross examination. On redirect I asked only one question: “Why did you drive all those miles down here to testify for the farmers.” He responded, “Because it was the right thing to do.”
As he left in the late evening for home he said he was taking his daughter and her sheep to the State Fair in New York the next day. He proudly said, “We are members of FFA.” Most important to him, she won two blue ribbons.
A month later a Final Judgment on behalf of the farmers came in the mail from the Court, adopting Bryan’s numbers to the penny. Heroes are ordinary folks who do extraordinary acts in the face of adversity. I believe there’s a little of Bryan Meder in all of us.
CREDITS
column by MICHAEL MARTIN
BIO: Michael Martin of Martin Law Office in Lakeland specializes in agriculture and environmental legal representation. A native of Polk County, Mike attended college at Sewanee in Tennessee, before obtaining a doctorate in law from the University of Florida and has tried numerous cases nationwide since that time. [/emember_protected]
