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The annual report from the American Tort Reform Foundation
ranks states and jurisdictions ripe for lawsuit abuse.
California tops the report's Hellhole list, followed by New
York, Louisiana and West Virginia.
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FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: Illinois (once again) is on the top five
for judicial hellholes. |
Illinois is fifth on the list, not as a state but rather
represented by Madison and St. Clair counties.
The two counties, across the river from St. Louis, have
become one of the favorite locations for venue shopping lawyers
looking for a big payday, said Travis Akin, executive director
of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch.
"This is more than just the occasional slip-and-fall
lawsuit," Akin told Illinois Watchdog. "This is a very
systematic, very purposeful manipulation of our legal system in
the state of Illinois."
Akin said trial lawyers have found judges and juries who will
hear cases with no ties to Illinois.
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1 IN 4: Madison County, Ill., sees 1 in 4 of all asbestos
lawsuits in the U.S. |
The Hellhole report notes that 1 in 4 of all asbestos
cases in America are tried in Madison County.
"Last year, there were nearly 1,600 asbestos lawsuits filed
in Madison County, Akin said. "About 90 percent of those cases
had nothing to do with Illinois."
St. Clair County is becoming the go-to jurisdiction for
lawyers looking to sue drugmakers, he said.
Another report, this one from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's
Institute for Legal Reform, also focuses on Madison County.
That report says the 2013 asbestos caseload on Madison County is
on pace to top the nearly 1,600 cases from 2012.
[to top of second column] |
Akin says the problem is not just with lawyers who game the
system. Juries are also part of the problem.
"There is a culture in Illinois ... it's a 'sue first' mentality,"
Akin said.
That culture is why the ATRF and the U.S. Chamber have listed
Cook County, home to Chicago, as the next jurisdiction to watch.
The Hellhole report has Cook County on a watchlist for being "one
of the most inhospitable places for a business to face a lawsuit in
the country."
Akin said Illinois needs to enact common-sense laws to limit
lawsuit abuse, including limits on venue shopping.
But Akin said the biggest reform does not need to come from the
state Legislature.
"We as citizens need to take responsibility for our own actions,"
Akin said.
The ATRF has launched a campaign called "Stopping Lawsuit
Abuse Starts with You."
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Contact Benjamin Yount at
Ben@IllinoisWatchdog.org and find him
on Twitter:
@BenYount.
[This
article courtesy of
Illinois Watchdog.]
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