There’s a new batch of lawsuits sweeping through state and federal courts. Some of New York City’s high profile chefs have become the targets of lawyers filing claims on behalf of restaurant employees. The lawsuits claim that some of the city's upscale restaurants are violating state and federal labor laws by not giving low-level employees their full tip wages. What’s more is that the same group of NYC lawyers is driving these lawsuits – filing under similar terms, allegations and even seeking class action status. The Wall Street Journal reported on the lawsuits today and mentioned concerns facing those in the industry on this new trend:

Michael J. Romano, the new leader of the personal injury bar in West Virginia, seems to think that West Virginia’s ailing economy and struggling legal system have less to do with the frivolous lawsuits and clogged courts and more to do with the state's mountainous terrain. 

West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse’s Richie Heath recently wrote an article for the West Virginia Record and shared his views on the situation:

The U.S. Treasury has yet to comply with a request by a U.S. Senator for information regarding a possible tax break for trial lawyers who are working on a contingency fee basis, Legal Newsline reports.

Estimated at $1.6 billion, the tax break was requested by the trial lawyers’ national association: the so-called “American Association of Justice.”  According to sources, trial lawyer lobbyist John Bowman told the trial lawyers’ association that an order from the Treasury Department could come soon granting the tax break at their convention in Vancouver, Canada this past July.

Tort reform was a hot topic at a gubernatorial debate in Georgia last Saturday. During the debate, candidates shared their views on issues such as embryonic stem cell research and Medicaid funding, but it was discussion of medical malpractice and tort reform that caught Project Lawsuit Abuse’s attention.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the debate and pulled out some of the statements. It is a step in the right direction that candidates are talking about tort reform and lawsuit abuse. Hopefully we will start to see lawmakers acting on them and not just talking about them.

Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch executive director Travis Akin took the "Good Judges Matter" message to the radio waves today with a tour stop in Galesburg, IL. 

Last February, four justices on the Illinois supreme court struck down the state's widely supported medical malpractice law from 2005.  That decision will have a serious impact on all Illinois residents -- in both the cost and quality of their health care.

Mayor Victor Ritter of Herrin, Illinois has enjoyed being a public servant for decades, but he’s seen an alarming rise in lawsuits against municipalities over that time.  “Frivolous lawsuits are just draining the taxpayers’ money out of what we should be doing – we should be building roads and putting in water lines sewer mains -- and that’s where that money needs to go, it’s the taxpayers’ money,” he said.  Hear his view on lawsuit abuse:

Illinois lawmakers need to understand the impact of frivolous lawsuits on the people and municipalities of Illinois – and they need to do something to stop it.

Last year, Sick of Lawsuits met with Marion Presley, Mayor of West Frankfort, Illinois, to find out how lawsuit abuse impacts his town.  Here’s what he had to say:

This testimony shows us once again that personal responsibility has taken a backseat to today’s lawsuit mentality.  It’s costing jobs and discouraging business growth.  It’s time to say NO to lawsuit abuse.

This week, I am traveling across the state with a billboard truck in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of judicial elections in the State of Illinois. I have asked Ron Ellis, a small business owner and a member of the Williamson County Board, to jot down some of his views on the state’s legal climate. His thoughts are below:

As the owner of a small accounting firm and a sitting member of the Williamson County Board, I have seen firsthand how the slow economy has hurt local businesses and local governments.

The judiciary is an often overlooked and seldom understood branch of government. It is a branch of government, though, that has significant influence over our daily lives. Judges make decisions every day that affect our health care, community safety, and our economy.

Nothing brings this point home better than the recent decision by the Illinois Supreme Court to strike down the state’s historic medical malpractice reform law. The future of healthcare in Illinois is in jeopardy because Justices Thomas Kilbride, Thomas Fitzgerald, Charles Freeman and Anne Burke gave a huge gift to personal injury lawyers at the expense of doctors and their patients.

Maryland Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (MDCALA) released a new report revealing that three of Maryland’s largest localities spent more than $46 million to deal with lawsuits over the past five fiscal years.  Like many other states, Maryland is grappling with a large budget deficient and looking to cut critical programs – like schools and public safety.  The last place tax dollars should be going is to pay for lawsuits.

In order to understand the weight of litigation costs, the report compares these costs to city and county programs requiring similar levels of funding.  For example, had fiscal year 2009 funds not been spent on lawsuits: