Frivolous lawsuits have real costs and consequences. Undeserving and abusive lawsuits can come for anyone, and the consequences directly hurt employees, consumers and local economies. They drive up costs for businesses and consumers. They undermine job creation, and burden our civil court system. We all pay, and we all lose when it comes to lawsuit abuse.
Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week, observed annually during the first week of October, is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the impact that abusive lawsuits and questionable legal practices have on our families, employers, and communities. It’s also a time to remember that stopping lawsuit abuse starts with you.
It Starts with You!
“It starts with you” is more than a slogan or rally cry. We all share in the responsibility to stop lawsuit abuse and to support a legal system grounded in common sense. Each of us can do our part by serving on a jury when called, reporting ambulance chasing or the illegal solicitation of clients by a lawyer, and making the decision not to pursue a questionable lawsuit.
Being a savvy legal consumer is also important for those times you do need legal help. See our Legal Consumer Guide for more.
Jobs, Not Lawsuits
It wasn’t that long ago that the State of Texas routinely made the American Tort Reform Foundation’s Judicial Hellholes list, a ranking of the worst courts and jurisdictions for abusive lawsuits.
Over the years, thanks to smart-minded reforms from the Texas Legislature and the work of local community leaders and small business owners who joined together to form Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, Texas has shed its reputation as a poster child for lawsuit abuse.
Our civil justice system and the reforms to it over the past two decades have helped fuel a strong economy and job creation.
But abuses in the system still persist, and we know that well-funded special interests and some personal injury lawyers would like nothing more than to roll back our progress or prevent additional needed reforms from being enacted. So, it’s on all of us to continue to fight against any abuse of our justice system, support additional legislation that may be needed, and protect the reforms we’ve worked so hard for over the years.
We’re headed into an election year in 2024. It’s a good time to put lawsuit reform on the ballot by holding elected officials and candidates accountable. Make it a point to ask your candidates, “Do you support lawsuit reform? Do you commit to protecting the reforms in place?”
We can all do our part to focus on jobs, not lawsuits, ensuring our courts are used for justice, not greed.
Whether you’re a small business owner, parent, community leader or just care about fairness and justice, it starts with you. Serve on a jury when summoned. Call out ambulance chasing and lawsuit abuse when you see it. Elect local, state, and federal leaders who are committed to reforming our courts and curbing abuses.
Each of us can take simple steps to fight lawsuit abuse. It really does start with you.
