Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week Statement From Lawsuit Reform Alliance Of NY

As Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week 2020 comes to a close, the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York is highlighting legislative proposals that would help fix New York’s hostile litigation environment.

“It is very telling that the lawsuits highlighted for the  American Tort Reform Association’s Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week were all filed in New York courts. With a whopping $6,600 annual per household price tag, the Empire State is home to the costliest tort system in the nation.

“New York’s per capita tort costs are already two times higher than other states, and in light of our current fiscal crisis, crucial changes to the state’s civil justice system are necessary now more than ever.”

This is the most litigious state, in the most litigious country in the world,” said Tom Stebbins, Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York Executive Director. “New York’s per capita tort costs are already two times higher than other states, and in light of our current fiscal crisis, crucial changes to the state’s civil justice system are necessary now more than ever.”

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Stebbins stated, “Proposals to fix the Scaffold Law, rein in predatory lawsuit lending, and reform the class action system would help support New Yorkers during this difficult time.”

“Someone has to stand up to the special interests of the personal injury trial bar which has had a stranglehold on Albany lawmakers for far too long,”

“Someone has to stand up to the special interests of the personal injury trial bar which has had a stranglehold on Albany lawmakers for far too long,” Stebbins added.

Among the legislative proposals that would bring New York’s civil justice system in line with more balanced liability environments are:

• Reform the unique-to-New York Scaffold Law, which adds over $700 million in taxpayer-funded liability costs annually, by fixing the statute’s “absolute liability” provision.
• Regulate predatory lawsuit lending, which could be controlled with stricter consumer protections that cap the rate of interest under the proposed Consumer Litigation Funding Act.
• Link judgment interest to the market rate. Under current law, monetary judgments accrue 9 percent interest during the appeals process.
• Fix the state’s General Business Law, which has made New York the new hotspot for trial lawyers to file food and beverage-related class action lawsuits. One lawyer continues to file dozens of lawsuits over vanilla flavoring.

Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week highlights abuses and misuses of the civil justice system by highlighting specific instances of lawsuit abuse and encouraging public discourse and education surrounding the issue. Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week 2020 spanned October 5-9, 2020.