Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Pain Brokers:
Sometimes surgery is the least painful part.
Quick synopsis:
The story of terrible humans taking advantage of people through mass tort schemes.
Fact for Non-History People:
There are approximately 170 different mass torts which cover over 393,000 individual claims going on as of 2025.
Fact for History Nerds:
Mass torts account for 50% of all civil cases in the U.S.
My Take on The Pain Brokers:
I’m not allowed to curse in reviews, but the first words that popped into my head after finishing Elizabeth Chamblee Burch’s The Pain Brokers rhymed with “bucking bell.” (Yes, in Gordon Ramsay’s voice.) Fair warning, I go nuts with the parentheticals in this one. I’m not sorry.
To be clear, my dismay has nothing to do with the execution of the book. Burch nails a very complicated story in her first foray into “not super boring legal briefs.” (If you are a lawyer and you are insulted by that, please be honest with yourself.) Anyway, we will get back to Burch’s successes. Let’s jump to the failure of humans as a species.
The Pain Brokers is about the pain and anguish caused by…well it’s not even one thing! Do we want to start with the pharma companies that put highly defective vaginal mesh devices in women? Not enough? How about the lawyers trying to crush the very legitimate lawsuits? Nope, not done yet. How about the web of companies that grab these mass tort cases (not a food, but it sounds delicious, and is actually a case that resembles class action lawsuits, kinda)? (Again, for the lawyers, yes I know they are not exactly the same, that’s why I said “resembles.” Stop harassing me, I’m talking to my fellow normies.) Where was I? Oh yeah, we can get to the final level of hell with the lawyers who are going to sue the other lawyers to finally find justice for these women but refuse to because they can’t make enough money off them. I didn’t even mention the doctors!!
Now, listen, I know we went on a whole adventure there. Good news, Burch explains this all way better and much simpler than I did. Burch is a super fancy lawyer herself, but she never reverts to legalese when good old-fashioned plain language will do. She does a fantastic job making all the characters (and there are a ton) stand out. Some because they are slimy Florida types (not bashing Florida, that’s just literally where they are) who want to seem like gangsters but are more likely to just pick your pocket. Her most important work is bringing to life the pain of the women who are caught in the maelstrom. Without spoiling anything, Jerri is going to break your heart.
I should warn readers that this is a deeply involved true crime book as opposed to a quick recap of a violent crime and its investigation. For comparison, this is like the difference between Only Murders in the Building and Breaking Bad. One of those shows is a lighthearted romp where your attention is not fully expected and it’s all over in about 30 minutes. Breaking Bad is meticulously written, paced and may leave you feeling enraged or sad. I love both of them, but you need to know what you are getting into. The Pain Brokers is a must read so make sure you find time for it.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Atria Books.)
Verdict:
An absolute must read. Buy it here!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.