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CHRONICLING AMERICA'S HEALTH LITIGATION EMERGENCY
brought to you by Sick Of Lawsuits
 Volume VII October 9, 2003 

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"Litigation reform won't happen overnight, but there is a growing public support to fix what has become a very broken system," - Former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, "Lawsuit Industry Generates Billions, Report Says", The Washington Times, September 24, 2003


Lawsuit Abuse News

more lawsuit abuse news in Sick Of Lawsuits

Lawsuit Industry Generates Billions, Report Says

"Trial lawyers raked in $40 billion last year from lawsuits, according to a report released yesterday by a New York think tank…Medical malpractice awards have risen to an average of $1 million, while insurance premiums have jumped 30 percent to 75 percent nationwide in the last two years." The Washington Times, September 24, 2003

Rising health costs take bite out of small biz

"Small-business profits are getting pinched because of price increases for employee health insurance. Among small companies that posted lower earnings in August vs. a year ago, 18% blamed higher insurance costs, says a survey of 544 firms by the National Federation of Independent Business trade group.

In a similar survey a year ago, 11% blamed health insurance costs for their earnings dip." USA TODAY, October 5, 2003

Tough Questions Are Raised on Fen-Phen Compensation

"The trust set up to compensate people injured by fen-phen, the formerly popular diet drug, says that an alliance of doctors and lawyers filing invalid claims threatens to drain its coffers… Stuck in the middle are people who are sick and who have legitimate claims, but who must wait for the audits to be completed before recovering any money.

Their plight and the battle between the trust and some plaintiffs' lawyers - other plaintiffs' lawyers are in agreement with the trust's position - highlights a broad and growing challenge for courts handling litigation over medical injuries attributed to fen-phen, asbestos and various prescription drugs." The New York Times, October 7, 2003

Sick of Lawsuits
In Action

 

Join The Million Email March On Washington!

Tell Congress and the President that frivolous lawsuits are making you sick

The Sick of Lawsuits Campaign is spearheading a new initiative to raise awareness about how frivolous litigation is threatening our healthcare system. The "Million Email March On Washington" is an effort to gather emails from citizens to send to elected officials to let them know that lawsuit abuse is making us sick. Interested individuals can take action by visiting www.SickofLawsuits.org, sending an email to Congress and the President and encouraging others to get involved in the campaign.

Legislative Update

Texas
On September 13, Texans secured a victory in the fight against lawsuit abuse by voting to pass Proposition 12, a constitutional amendment limiting non-economic damages in medical liability lawsuits. - Houston Chronicle; Dallas Morning Star; San Antonio Express

Mississippi
Last week, two-dozen incumbent Mississippi legislators signed a pledge to vote for more statewide civil justice reforms. Lt. Governor Amy Tuck lead the charge to push for more reforms, citing increased access to healthcare and services as a primary motivating force in making a commitment to enact legislation. - The Sun Herald; Associated Press

Our Broken Healthcare Liability System


The Stats


  • $40 billion: amount of money trial lawyers earned from lawsuit awards in 2002

  • 52 percent: percentage of medical malpractice awards that exceed $1 million in 2001

  • $30,000: hourly rate demanded by trial attorneys on high profile class-action litigation

    Source: Trial Lawyers Inc.; A Report On the Lawsuit Industry in America 2003, The Center for Legal Policy, Manhattan Institute, 2003

For press inquiries, please contact Rossanna Salazar at: 1-800-476-1442

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