New Study Shows Benefits of Tort Reform for California

A new national study on the benefits of tort reform shows that if California were to enact reforms, the result would be nearly $23 billion in savings for the residents and businesses of the state, according to Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA). Without the reforms, frivolous legal cases and those resulting in excessive damages will cost, in effect, state residents a “tort tax” of $574 per person.

The CALA report, titled the Impact of Tort Costs and the Potential Economic Benefits of Tort Reform in the United States, further shows that the savings from tort reform would flow through the state’s economy and support more than 206,000 new jobs and more than $46 billion in increased economic activity. California’s government would also benefit with increased tax revenues of more than $2.5 billion.

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Maryann Marino
Economic Benefits of Tort Reform

An assessment of excessive tort costs in California and potential economic benefits of reform. The report utilized Ohio, which has engaged in notable tort reform in the recent past, as a benchmark. Reform can reduce or eliminate these costs to the benefit of the state.

November 2019

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Guest User
Do Californians Answer the Call to Serve on a Jury? A Report on California Rates of Jury Service Participation

Jurors play an integral part of the American justice system. Because a jury consists of several people with different backgrounds and experiences, a jury can arrive at a better verdict than one individual can. That’s why jury service, along with paying taxes, voting, and obeying the law, is one of the duties of citizenship. This report analyzes the participation rate among summoned jurors in California across 15 California counties. The counties chosen are the most populous in California, and combined they account for 82% of the population of California.

May 2015

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Schools Cut Back as Litigation Costs Eat Into Budgets

This report examines the cost of verdicts, settlements and outside counsel to some of California’s largest school districts.

If California passed common sense legal reforms to reduce the incentives for abusive lawsuits against school districts, districts could focus more of their limited resources where they belong: providing students a higher quality education.

August 2014

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Guest User
More Lawyers, Less Public Services: The Cost of Litigation to California’s Cities and Counties

In response to the prolonged drought of revenue into public coffers due to excessive litigation, local and state governments alike have had to condense budgets year after year. This report examines the cost of verdicts, settlements and outside counsel to some of California’s largest cities and counties.

One point clear: it is unacceptable for cities and counties to continue paying out of control legal costs while vital social service and public safety programs face budget cuts.

January 2013

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Todd Van Etten