State Tort Laws Negatively Impacting Economies Outlined for DOJ in ATRA Letter
Today, the American Tort Reform Association provided the Department of Jus...
Lawyers pitch potential public nuisance lawsuits to government officials and others hoping to be hired on a contingency fee basis.
Lawyers have expanded public nuisance legal theory such that merely selling an everyday product can create virtually unlimited liability, and they sue companies for allegedly causing various societal harms. Traditional public nuisances include a person’s use of land in a manner that creates local disturbances. Today’s public nuisance lawsuits have evolved far from the legal theory’s original intent, and now include: COVID-19, opioids, climate change, environmental and plastic cleanups, and e-cigarettes and vaping.
ATRA supports implementation of sunshine laws with regard to state and local governments’ hiring of outside contingency-fee attorneys as well as legislation that requires public nuisance lawsuits to be grounded in disputes over real property.
No related legislation or reform items found for this issue.
Court Ruled in Favor of ATRA's Position
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Court Denied CertCourt Ruled Against ATRA's Position
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