Frequently Asked Questions

About CALA

  • CALA is a national, nonpartisan, grassroots movement dedicated to advancing commonsense civil justice reform and raising awareness about the economic impact of lawsuit abuse on families, consumers, small businesses, and local communities. CALA advocates for legal reforms at both the state and national levels.

  • No. CALA is explicitly nonpartisan, focused simply on civil justice reform and public education surrounding the costs and consequences of lawsuit abuse.

  • CALA operates both nationally and through dedicated state chapters. Current state chapters and affiliated groups include California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CA CALA), Florida Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (FL CALA), Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (IL CALA), Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW), Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse (TALA), and West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (WV CALA).

About Lawsuit Abuse

  • Lawsuit abuse refers to the misuse of the civil justice system for frivolous or predatory lawsuits, or excessive litigation that prioritizes profit over justice. This includes, but is not limited to, practices such as nuclear verdicts®, third-party litigation funding (TPLF), predatory Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits, abusive bad-faith claims, product liability concerns, noneconomic damages, and junk science in the courtroom.

  • Everyone. Lawsuit abuse affects small business owners, consumers, healthcare providers, employers, and the local, statewide, and national economies across the country. It raises the cost of goods and services, can contribute to higher insurance premiums, discourages investment and innovation, and threatens job creation.

  • The tort tax is the estimated per-person financial burden that lawsuit abuse places on ordinary citizens. The “tort tax” is a hidden cost that shows up as higher prices for all goods and services. For more information on how the tort tax is applied in your state, visit: cala.com/research-and-reports

  • Lawsuit abuse drives up medical malpractice premiums, which forces doctors to practice defensive medicine or leave their field entirely. These additional costs are passed on to patients as higher healthcare costs. In states without reasonable liability limits, runaway jury awards have pushed insurers out of the market and driven physicians to abandon high-risk specialties or relocate. While some states also allow plaintiffs with no physical injury to sue for speculative medical monitoring costs. Key reforms are needed.

  • Third-party litigation funding occurs when outside investors finance lawsuits in exchange for a share of any settlement or award. CALA research has found that TPLF drives up litigation costs, undermines affordability, and harms U.S. businesses and consumers.

  • Nuclear verdicts® are excessively large jury awards exceeding $10 million, often going far beyond reasonable compensation. These verdicts increase insurance costs, create economic uncertainty, and place significant pressure on small businesses and employers.

About Legal Reform

  • CALA supports commonsense civil justice reforms that promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in the courts. CALA supports legal reforms, including but not limited to caps on damages amounts, greater transparency in litigation funding, reforms to bad-faith insurance laws, updates to privacy laws like Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), and much more.  

  • CALA believes the courts should be fair and equitable. Currently, widespread lawsuit abuse creates a drag on the economy, clogs the courts, and makes basic goods and services less affordable. Reform is needed to balance the scales of the civil justice system.

  • Yes. CALA has celebrated several legislative wins, including landmark civil justice reform passed by the Florida Legislature in 2022 and 2023, the 2025 PAGA reforms passed in California, and the 2025 Georgia tort reform laws. CALA continues advocating for additional reforms across the country that protect consumers, encourage economic growth, and preserve access to affordable goods and services.

Getting Involved

  • You can join CALA’s nationwide grassroots network to help advocate for a fair and balanced civil justice system. CALA supporters engage with community leaders, contact state and local lawmakers, and advocate for legislative reforms. You can sign up at cala.com

  • Yes. CALA actively encourages affected individuals — whether small business owners, employers, and consumers — to share their stories through the "Share Your Story" form on their website. Stories from advocates help shine a light on the human impact of lawsuit abuse. You can share your story at cala.com/share-your-story

  • Real-world examples include a restaurant owner who was hit with a $150,000 ADA lawsuit after simply allowing an injured person to use the bathroom, and a doctor in Austin, Texas, whose malpractice premiums climbed so high that colleagues considered leaving the profession entirely.

Research & Resources

  • Yes. CALA partners with the Perryman Group to regularly publish national, state, and city-specific economic impact reports. These reports quantify the financial burden lawsuit abuse places on individuals, businesses, and state economies, and discuss how tort reform would benefit the overall economy. Reports are available from 2019 and are updated annually.

  • All research and reports are available on the Research and Reports page at cala.com/research-and-reports

  • CALA publishes ongoing news coverage, press releases, and featured stories from states including Florida, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, California, and West Virginia. These can also be found at cala.com/news

For more information or to join the movement, visit cala.com.