Why West Virginia Needs Legal Reform
The numbers are in for West Virginia’s economy, and they aren’t good. The state lost 7,000 jobs in 2013, ranked last in job creation and had the nation’s lowest labor participation rate. Sounds like some changes are needed, right?
As West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse points out, one change that would have a major positive impact on the state is an improvement in the legal climate. Currently, West Virginia has a reputation as Judicial Hellhole, where plaintiffs’ lawyers win big at the expense of everyone else. Reducing the lawsuit burden through legal reforms would allow small businesses to grow and create jobs, and improve the overall quality of life for West Virginians.
Louisiana Lets in the Sunshine
If you’ve been paying attention to legal reform issues in Louisiana, you’ve probably heard about Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s use of legally questionable contingency-fee contracts to hire politically-connected trial lawyers to conduct lawsuits on behalf of the state.
Let’s Crack Down on Fraud in the Plaintiffs’ Bar!
Too often, personal injury lawyers abuse our civil justice system for their own personal profit. One of their most egregious tactics is to “double-dip” in funds intended for asbestos victims. That is, plaintiffs’ lawyers make more than one claim for the same injury, pulling money from asbestos bankruptcy trusts and then going on to sue additional entities or claim money from a separate trust.
This fraud is a major problem, because it wastes money that was meant to go to asbestos victims and quickly drains asbestos trusts – all to fill the pockets of personal injury lawyers.
Project Lawsuit Abuse Newsmakers
Tort reformers have been turning up all over the internet recently. We took the liberty of rounding up some of the standouts. You may recognize a few friends of Project Lawsuit Abuse in there. Here are some of the newsmakers from around the country.
Juror Appreciation Week – May 12-16
In 1998, the California Legislature designated the second full week in May each year to honor the important contributions of citizens who serve on juries, making the right to trial by jury possible. – Fox & Hounds Daily
Ten Years of Reform in Mississippi!
In the early 2000s, Mississippi – home of notorious trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs – had a reputation as the nation’s capital for “jackpot justice.” One outrageous verdict after another drove businesses away, and high malpractice premiums left the state’s healthcare system in a crisis. Jefferson County, a favorite venue of trial lawyers, had more plantiffs in mass tort lawsuits than residents!
But in 2004, the state legislature took steps to turn the state around through common sense legal reforms, like caps on damages and restrictions on venue shopping. Since the landmark reforms, Mississippi has attracted new jobs – including a Toyota manufacturing plant as a direct result of legal reforms – and medical liability insurance premiums have fallen more than 60 percent.
Project Lawsuit Abuse Newsmakers
Tort reformers have been turning up all over the internet recently. We took the liberty of rounding up some of the standouts. You may recognize a few friends of Project Lawsuit Abuse in there. Here are some of the newsmakers from around the country.
When Constituents and Small Business Owners Speak, Legislators Listen
Editor’s Note: Project Lawsuit Abuse regularly highlights lawsuit abuse news from across the country. Today, Tom Scott, Executive Director of California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, contributed a guest post for Project Lawsuit Abuse.
Texas Trial Lawyers Trying to Roll Back Reforms
The trial bar is, without a doubt, one of the nation’s most powerful political players. Wealthy personal injury lawyers donate millions of dollars to political candidates with a single goal – elect their friends to office so they can further their lawsuit-creation agenda.
Sick of Lawsuits is Headed Back to CPAC!
We have some exciting news for you – Sick of Lawsuits is heading back to CPAC this year!
We’ll be hosting a booth on the CPAC floor from March 6-8, so make sure to stop by and visit us for some fun giveaways and information on the movement. If you can’t make it, make sure to follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for pictures and updates!
We look forward to meeting you – let’s bring the fight against lawsuit abuse to CPAC!
Project Lawsuit Abuse Newsmakers
Tort reformers have been turning up all over the internet recently. We took the liberty of rounding up some of the standouts. You may recognize a few friends of Project Lawsuit Abuse in there. Here are some of the newsmakers from around the country.
Attorney says AG grandstanding with price-gouging suit
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has filed a lawsuit against a Putnam County business that allegedly was gouging customers in the wake of last month’s chemical spill that polluted the water of 300,000 residents. – The West Virginia Record
Fighting for Common Sense Reforms in Kentucky
It’s common sense – legal reforms to crack down on lawsuit abuse improve healthcare costs for everyone. Just ask Texas! After the state passed groundbreaking medical malpractice reforms in 2003, Texans’ access to quality and affordable healthcare greatly increased.
Now, Kentucky is looking to follow Texas’ lead in cracking down on abusive medical malpractice lawsuits. The state legislature is currently considering a bill that would put medical malpractice lawsuits before a review panel before they could go to court, ensuring that only legitimate lawsuits could advance.
A Chance to Improve the Nation’s Legal Climate
It’s no secret that lawsuit abuse hurts America’s competitiveness, with the United States having the highest liability costs in the world! This fact hurts our economy and drives up costs for consumers.
When we think about how to improve our national legal climate, we often point to legislative solutions, such as the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act. But there’s also a different manner through which our civil justice system can be changed – the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.