California’s Legal System is out of Control

There are too many lawsuits today, many of which are frivolous. With so many lawsuits, it takes too long to move through the system – often, more than a year.  This means those with legitimate lawsuits must wait to get their day in court.

Lawsuit abuse affects everyone. Too often, people look for someone to blame for real or imagined injuries.  That’s abuse of the system.

Frivolous lawsuits do not serve justice.  We need reform that prevents lawsuit abuse and preserves the public’s legitimate right to sue.

Everyone Pays the Price for Lawsuit Abuse

When hit with a frivolous lawsuit, no matter who wins, you lose.  Even if you beat a frivolous lawsuit filed against you, it will cost you time, money and personal grief to defend yourself.  Unfortunately, many innocent defendants are forced to settle out of court, simply to avoid legal hassles and harassment.

Even if you have never been sued, you and your community end up paying for lawsuit abuse. Frivolous lawsuits drive up the prices for goods and services, whether at the hospital or at the grocery store.

Lawsuit abuse affects the economy through lost jobs and sometimes even the closure of businesses, leading to less revenue for state and local government to pay for things such as parks, roadwork and public safety.

The Court System Should Be Used for Justice, Not Greed

Less than half of the liability dollar ever goes to anyone who is injured; most goes to cover lawyers’ fees and court costs. The real winners in the system are personal injury lawyers, who often get one-third of any court winnings.

The more lawsuits there are, the more money lawyers make.  That’s why lawyers spend millions of dollars on TV ads soliciting new clients and millions more in lobbying lawmakers to expand liability on a wide variety of products and services.