Ping
The right to a speedy trial pertains to criminal cases. Civil cases often get delayed for years. There are so many lawsuit (civil) cases pending in the courts that they simply can't fit Maureen Stevens' case into the schedule until 2011. The solution would be to have more judges, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.
The case will probably be settled before it gets to trial. I think that almost 99% of civil cases are settled and do not actually go to court.
There's no danger that all the thousands of people who were exposed to the spores will sue if Maureen Stevens wins her case. The statute of limitations is probably about 2 years in a situation like this. Remember it's a CIVIL case, not a criminal case. Statutes of limitations are relatively short in CIVIL cases. If you didn't sue in the first two years after the attacks, you are probably out of luck.