By Kerry Oberheim

The rejected $60 million compensation offered to the group of infected Canadian hemophiliacs is not enough for victims, but the best offer according to the Canadian Red Cross.

The chief negotiator for the Canadian Red Cross, lawyer Bob Rae, said that while the victims are entitled to more than the amount proposed, it is all that the organization would be able to provide. "The (Canadian) Red Cross is not saying that the $60 million is all that people are entitled to. It is all that the Red Cross has to offer," said Rae.

The March 29, proposal was denied by the Canadian Hepatitis C Society, the group of infected hemophiliacs. If it had been accepted, there would be a trust fund set up by the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) totaling $60 million.

The proposed trust fund is for victims who were not eligible to receive the federal and provincial reparations because they contracted the disease either before 1986, or after 1990. The estimated 20,000 victims would then be compensated by approximately $3,000 a piece.

Rae said that the amount offered is not sufficient and that he sympathizes with the situation of the victims. "I can understand their frustration and they deserve to be better compensated," Rae said.

The rejection means that the group will continue to try for a greater amount of money. It caused many to wonder if the CRC, begun in 1859, could go bankrupt as a result of the lawsuit. McCarthy, spokesman for the group of infected Canadians, said that finding sympathy for the organization is hard. "It is difficult to show compassion to the CRC when you watch family and friends die from horrendous virus's and diseases that were administered by the Canadian Red Cross," said McCarthy.

However, Rae said that there is no possibility of bankruptcy. "The Red Cross has got insurance for a period prior to 1986," said Rae. Rae also said that the money was not the main issue. "The issue is the people trying to come to terms with the lawsuit and what a reasonable settlement would be," Rae said. McCarthy has no doubt that they will be triumphant in their lawsuit. "We will win our lawsuit against the Canadian Red Cross," said McCarthy.

This confidence may come from a recent court decision in Canada, where the Canadian Red Cross was found guilty for not questioning high-risk donors in the early 1980's.

The settlement amounted to over one million dollars, a landmark ruling in Canada according to McCarthy. "Those are high damages in Canada. Any liabilities that the CRC cannot pay for, the Canadian government will have to assume that liability," said McCarthy.

The lack of compensation offered by the government is also a factor in the pursuit of greater damages by the victims. "If the victims were sufficiently compensated by the government, the Red Cross would be released from any liabilities," said McCarthy. The victims are hoping to receive a $3.8 billion settlement. "No doubt the $3.8 billion we are seeking in restitution would be the preferred outcome," said McCarthy.

McCarthy is also currently involved in the Canadian prison blood lawsuit that began in January for $1 billion along with an approaching one against those responsible in the United States for $5 billion.