The debate over lawsuit abuse is capturing attention. ABC affiliate WSIL in Illinois recently heard from friend of Project Lawsuit Abuse, Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch (I-LAW).

I-LAW shared their views on the way the system in Illinois has spun out of control, with frivolous lawsuits clogging the courts and straining tax dollars.

I-LAW advocates for limits and reforms in Illinois that will help cut back on frivolous suits, making it easier for legitimate suits to move through the system.

The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association – obviously – does not share the same opinion. Why would they? They profit off of the broken system.

Detractors of legal reform can be counted on to release “studies” and “reports” that support why they think legal reform is bad, but what they don’t ever talk about is all of the positive effects legal reform has had on state economies.

Case in point: Texas.

This week, Dr. Thomas Wilder, M.D., a board member of the Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, authored a piece in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times looking at the obvious and monumental benefits of legal reform in the state.

As Americans chow down on Thanksgiving feasts this Thursday, the biggest turkeys of all are unfortunately wreaking havoc in our legal system.  Sick of Lawsuits’ “Lawsuit Turkeys” list below shows that abusive lawsuits can really make your stomach turn.

These lawsuits may sound funny, but lawsuit abuse is no laughing matter. Lawsuit abuse increases the prices we pay for goods and services, consumes valuable tax dollars that could be better spent on economic development, schools or services for needy citizens, increases health care costs, and threatens jobs and our economy.

Sick of Lawsuits’ 2011 Lawsuit Turkey Hall of Shame

In a time where jobs are necessary for economic growth, there’s one thing we don’t need more of: lawsuits. 

However, before many businesses hire, they must make sure they are prepared financially in case they face a frivolous lawsuit. According to a recent article in Business Management Daily, “desperate [job] applicants may feel they have nothing to lose by suing.” 

Tort reformers have been turning up all over the internet over the past few days. We took the liberty of rounding up some of the standouts that hit over the past week. You may recognize a few friends of Project Lawsuit Abuse in there. Here are some of the newsmakers from around the country:

Another Apple class action lawsuit has gone into settlement. The damage this time?According to United States District Court documents, those affected will receive $35 to $79, provided they have the original invoice from purchase. The plaintiffs in the class each received $5,000 in the settlement. The lawyers… they collected $3.1 million.

We probably sound like a broken record over here, but the class action system is out of whack.

Class actions continue to roll into California, while trial lawyers collect million in fees and portions of the settlement while class members get measly sums and individuals get coupons.

Think Trix are for kids?  More like “frivolous lawsuits are for rich trial lawyers,” in this latest installment of ridiculous lawsuits closing up our nation’s court system.  Hope you’ve had your coffee already, because today’s post concerns a lawsuit over breakfast. 

Tort reformers have been turning up all over the internet over the past few days. We took the liberty of rounding up some of the standouts that hit over the past week. You may recognize a few friends of Project Lawsuit Abuse in there. Here are some of the newsmakers from around the country:

If you haven’t checked out the Manhattan Institute’s “Trial Lawyers, Inc.” series, you should.

The series, and its new report, discusses the sometimes suspect relationships between state attorneys general and plaintiffs lawyers.

The new Trial Lawyers, Inc. report looks at the campaign contributions of state AGs and then the instances where those state AGs have turned to trial lawyers on a contingency fee basis. In laymen’s terms, trial lawyers are profiting off of lawsuits on behalf of the states.

Attorney General association – specifically the Democratic Attorneys General Association – is funded heavily by the large law firms.

West Virginians know that lawsuit abuse costs jobs. At least that’s what a new voter survey conducted by Mark Blankenship Enterprises for West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (WV CALA) says.

More than 500 registered voters responded to the survey, which found that six in ten of West Virginians are of the opinion that there are too many lawsuits filed in West Virginia, having a negative effect on the state. Those that think lawsuits have a negative impact on job creation “outnumber the opposite view by nearly two to one.”