OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act

By: Max Burns
By: Max Burns
Date: Sept. 15, 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Arts, Entertainment, and History


LAWSUIT ABUSE REDUCTION ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 15, 2004)

(Mr. BURNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my colleagues for passing H.R. 4571, which is the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act.

In the NFL, a coach can challenge a referee's call; but if he is wrong, he has to give up a time out. It seems fair. But there is no personal risk for an unscrupulous trial lawyer to file a lawsuit against a company or a person and then offer to settle a dispute for less than the cost to defend the case in court. In the criminal laws, this would be termed extortion. But under the tort laws, it becomes a thriving industry.

Mr. Speaker, when the Senate passes the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act, it will be illegal to sue someone for an imaginary offense and cause them to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees in order for a judge to make a final official ruling. When one of these cases is deemed without merit, the attorney filing the suit will be responsible for paying the legal fees of the defendant. It seems like a simple commonsense approach to me.

I urge my colleagues to join me in asking the Senate to take immediate action to pass lawsuit abuse reduction in the United States.

arrow_upward