Businesses More Likely To File Frivolous Lawsuits, Be Represented by Trial Attorneys

[Nbadan]

Let's take some of the steam out of Cheneys more than likely plan of attack against Senator Edwards in tonights VP debate...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – American businesses file four times as many lawsuits as do individuals represented by trial attorneys, and they are penalized by judges much more often for pursuing frivolous litigation, according to a report issued today by Public Citizen.

The survey of case filings in two states (Arkansas and Mississippi) and two local jurisdictions (Cook County, Ill., and Philadelphia, Pa.) in 2001 found that businesses were 3.3 to 5.8 times more likely to file lawsuits than were individuals. This comes as businesses and politicians are campaigning to limit citizens’ rights to sue over everything from medical malpractice damages to defective products. By way of comparison, the number of American consumers (281 million) outnumbers the number of businesses in America (7 million) by 40 times.

The report also found that businesses and their attorneys were 69 percent more likely than individual tort plaintiffs and their attorneys to be sanctioned by federal judges for filing frivolous claims or defenses. The report, Frequent Filers: Corporate Hypocrisy in Accessing the Courts, is available...

“Corporations think America is too litigious only when they are on the receiving end of a lawsuit,” said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen. “But when they feel aggrieved, businesses are far more likely to take their beef to court than are consumers.”

..more..

Citizens.org

[Marcus Bryant]

So trial lawyers will take on frivolous cases no matter what.

[exstatic]

Yeah, but you don't hear anything about corporate tort reform by the GOP...

[Marcus Bryant]

There shouldn't be any "tort reform."

[exstatic]

Tell it to Bushco.