This letter first appeared in the Patriot-News.
In a December 10th PennLive op-ed entitled “Corporate America is continuing its covert attack on your family,” Paul Lagnese of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice bemoans the so-called evils of corporate America, yet fails to address the very real impact lawsuit abuse has on hard-working Pennsylvanians.
Last week, Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court were named the No. 1 Judicial Hellhole® in the nation by the American Tort Reform Foundation. I can see how this title might upset those who benefit from the system, but it’s everyday citizens who pay the price for lawsuit abuse. The U.S. tort system cost $373.1 billion in 2019. Third-party estimates show that in Pennsylvania, this results in a cost of $3,721 per household.
These Pennsylvania courts are known for attracting out-of-state plaintiffs who don’t belong there. This reduces access to the courts for local residents. Plus, in a year when asbestos lawsuit filings nationwide are down 13%, filings in Philadelphia actually increased 11.7%. In just half of last year, trial lawyers in Philadelphia spent nearly $11 million on 73,000 local TV ads to solicit even more clients. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Keystone State’s climate of lawsuit abuse harms Pennsylvanians by clogging the court system, driving away jobs and driving up insurance costs for consumers.
Sherman “Tiger” Joyce, Washington, DC
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