Big Corporations and Their Powerful CEOs Say the Legal System
Is In Crisis
They claim that lawyers and “frivolous” lawsuits are clogging
the courts, bankrupting large corporations and costing our economy
thousands of jobs.
The Real Crisis: Your Rights Are Under Attack
In fact, the real reason these special interests support so-called
tort “reform” is so they can limit the rights of regular
Americans to hold them accountable when they cause harm. They don’t
want to be held accountable, because it costs them money and reduces
their profits.
Lawsuits Level the Playing Field for All Americans
In courtrooms across the nation, the innocent victims of corporate
negligence and medical errors are allowed to face their opponents
on a level playing field. Citizen juries make the courtroom the
only place where every-day Americans stand on equal footing with
powerful special interests. Any “reform” that shuts the
doors of the courtroom or limits the power of a jury removes important
rights guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights and the
Constitution.
There is no crisis:
Federal Cases are Dropping
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts reported that between
2002 and 2003 tort actions in U.S. courts dropped by 28%.
State Lawsuit Filings and Civil Trials are Decreasing
In 2004, the National Center on State Courts found that the number
of tort filings dropped 5% since 1993. The Department of Justice
found that the number of civil trials in state courts dropped
47% between 1992 and 2001. They also found that the number of
tort cases decreased 31.8% in the same period.
Damage Awards are Decreasing
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the trend in damage
awards in tort cases – the compensation people receive from
a jury of their peers when they are harmed through no fault of
their own – is down. After adjusting for inflation, the average
personal injury award dropped 56.3% between 1992 and 2001 to $28,000.
Medical Malpractice Filings are Decreasing While the Number
of Doctors are Increasing
Tort “reformers” say that lawsuits are driving doctors
out of business, but the facts say otherwise. The National Center
on State Courts reported that the medical malpractice filings
have fallen by 1% since 1998. Meanwhile, the number of physicians
increased.
If lawsuits are down and jury awards are down, where is the
crisis? In fact, there IS no lawsuit crisis! Fight back and educate
Congress and the public about the real crisis – the attack
on your rights!
Don’t Let Them Put Profits Over People!
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The People Over Profits Grassroots Action Center is
proudly sponsored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
If you are an attorney and would like to invite your clients
to become People Over Profits members, please visit the ATLA
Grassroots Action Center.
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