Report Spotlights Need for Reform in Jackpot Jurisdictions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today welcomed the American Tort Reform Association's (ATRA) release of its new report, "Judicial Hellholes 2005," which designated six jurisdictions as "judicial hellholes."

"This report is further evidence that the legal system in some states is badly broken," said Lisa A. Rickard, president of ILR. "The need to make judicial and legislative changes that will level the playing field in problem states has never been greater."

The report, based on a survey of ATRA's membership, jointly named the Rio Grande Valley and Gulf Coast regions of Texas the number one judicial hellhole, thanks in large part to million dollar jury verdicts and trial court rulings.

"The number one ranking of two south Texas regions demonstrates that even when a state passes comprehensive tort reform – as Texas did in 2003 – lawsuit abuse may persist if the new laws are not applied as intended," continued Rickard.

New to the list this year is Cook County, Illinois, due to a penchant for asbestos litigation, class action lawsuits and forum shopping. Perennial trial lawyer favorites Madison and St. Clair Counties showed improvement, moving down ATRA's list to numbers four and five, but Illinois remains one of the worst states for lawsuit abuse.

Despite incremental legal reforms passed by the West Virginia legislature last spring, the state moved up from four to three on this year's hellholes list, showing that more comprehensive legal reforms are needed to restore fairness and balance to West Virginia's courts. South Florida rounds out the list of "dishonorees," stepping up one spot this year to become the sixth-worst judicial hellhole in 2005.

The recognition of these jurisdictions as havens for lawsuit abuse further substantiates the low rankings their states received in the 2005 ILR/Harris State Liability System Ranking study in which Texas ranked 45; Illinois ranked 46; West Virginia ranked 49; and Florida ranked 42.

The mission of the Institute for Legal Reform is to make America's legal system simpler, fairer and faster for everyone. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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