What Can You Do?

Why you should care about lawsuit abuse Because every man, woman, and child is a victim of lawsuit abuse...including you. Our courts are choking with too many lawsuits. It takes too long to move lawsuits through the system - legitimate lawsuits may take a year or more to be heard in court. Too many lawsuits are frivolous or junk lawsuits. There are more every day...and they could easily happen to you. Even if you beat a frivolous lawsuit, it will cost you time, money, and personal grief to defend yourself. Many innocent defendants are forced to settle out of court, simply to avoid legal harassment, damaged reputations, and financial ruin. Even if you have never been sued, you pay for lawsuit abuse. Lawsuit abuse creates higher health care costs... higher prices for consumer items... higher insurance premiums... and higher taxes. Think of these higher costs as a hidden "lawsuit tax". We all pay more in overall economic costs - through lost jobs and business closings... and an overburdened court system where too often justice is not served. How you can help stop lawsuit abuse There are workable solutions to the lawsuit abuse crisis. Every one of them starts with you. When called, don't make excuses - serve on a jury. Talk before you fight. Don't "sue thy neighbor." Try mediation or arbitration to resolve disputes. Conflicts are inevitable in our society, but lawsuits should be the last resort. Encourage personal responsibility in our community. Too often, people look for an outside culprit to blame when something bad happens to them, even if they are personally negligent. Report barratry nor "ambulance chasing" - the illegal solicitation of clients by attorneys. It's a crime. Support efforts to reform our legal system. Find out where your elected representatives stand. Join Northern California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (NORCALA) and help educate your community. If everyone understands that "we all pay, we all lose," then together we can stop lawsuit abuse.