The American Tort Reform Association announced its support for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act (H.R. 5437), introduced this month in the U.S. House of Representatives and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
In a letter sent to Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), ATRA outlined how the bill will help rein in abusive product liability lawsuits and urged swift Congressional action.
“Everyday businesses and law-abiding manufacturers should not be held responsible for conduct over which they have no control,” said Tiger Joyce, president of ATRA. “It’s time to restore fairness and predictability.”
The legislation addresses lawsuits that attempt to hold manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of stone slab products liable for injuries caused by third-party fabrication practices, rather than by the original design or manufacture of the products.
Hundreds of lawsuits have targeted upstream businesses, while allowing noncompliant fabrication shops to escape accountability. Many of these fabricators frequently disregard OSHA safety standards, putting workers at risk.
The surge in meritless litigation stems largely from California — consistently ranked among the nation’s worst Judicial Hellholes®. There, aggressive trial lawyers exploit loopholes to file lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors, while the fabrication shops actually responsible for workplace violations often evade responsibility.
“Congress should act immediately before this industry is extinguished by the improper application of California tort law,” Joyce said. “Rather than targeting bad actors, the current wave of litigation threatens good-paying jobs and restricts safe consumer choices nationwide.”
ATRA urges Congress to pass H.R. 5437 without delay to protect jobs, safeguard consumers, and preserve the future of a vital American industry.
