16.3.04

Runaway Lawsuits? Lawsuit Abuse?

Treasury secretary warns of runaway lawsuits was the headline, but look at the facts and you will see that this is not true:

-- Tort claims do not clog our courts are only 5% of all civil claims filed in state courts per the nonpartisan National Center for State Courts (NCSC).
-- Tort filings in state courts declined from '89-'98 per NCSC and 95%+ of tort cases are filed in state courts and states' populations increased from '89-'98.
-- The American Bar says the rate of federal lawsuits per capita have not changed since 1790 and the size of awards increased just with inflation.
-- 6,000 deaths and millions of injuries are prevented each year because of the deterrent effect of products liability, according to the Consumer Federation of America. For example, after jurors held them responsible companies curbed problems with defective baby cribs that strangled, flammable children's pajamas that burned easily, harmful medical devices, weak car fuel systems, cancer causing asbestos and hazardous farm machinery.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney