Tort Reform Raises Consumer Group Ire

White House Weekly
Monday, February 26, 2001

Already, public interest groups are preparing to battle against the Bushites, who they believe want to block personal injury lawsuits.

On Thursday the Center for Justice and Democracy, a New York-based public interest group, released what it called "the most comprehensive compilation ever assembled of lawsuits that have led to specific safety improvements benefiting large segments of the population."

Joanne Doroshow, CJ&D's executive director, said the report's release coincides with the fact that "corporate lobbyists are swarming Congress and legislatures around the country, asking lawmakers to block injured consumers' access to court by claiming personal injury lawsuits are 'frivolous' or 'lack common sense.' " Entitled Lifesavers: CJ&D's Guide to Lawsuits That Protect Us All, Doroshow said the report stands as "irrefutable evidence that far from lacking common sense, lawsuits save lives, and we as a society would suffer tremendously if our civil justice system were weakened in any significant respect."

The report examines over 80 personal injury lawsuits, each of which led to major safety improvements benefiting large numbers of people. "Time and again, lawsuits have caused culpable manufacturers, polluters, hospitals and other entities to stop their negligent behavior or misconduct," said Doroshow, who edited the 65-page report.

For a copy of the complete article, contact CJ&D.

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