Frivolous lawsuits have real costs and consequences, especially for Texas’ small business owners and for our state’s larger economy. They not only drive up costs for businesses, but also for consumers, and they can slow down access to our civil court system for legitimate claims.
Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week is a nationwide campaign, running Oct. 6-10, 2025, that aims to educate and raise awareness about the impact of lawsuit abuse on our families, businesses, and communities. Simply put, stopping lawsuit abuse starts with you! And it takes all of us to defend against abuses in the civil justice system and to drive real change that reins in abusive practices at the state and federal levels.
It Starts with You
“It starts with you” is more than a slogan or rally cry. Whether it’s calling out abuses when we see or experience them or advocating for common-sense reforms at the Texas Capitol, we all share in the responsibility to stop lawsuit abuse. There are other simple ways to ensure a strong civil justice system, such as 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 crucial when you do need legal help. See our Legal Consumer Guide for helpful consumer tips.
From Hellhole to Model of Reform
It wasn’t that long ago that the State of Texas routinely made the American Tort Reform Association’s Judicial Hellholes list, a ranking of the worst courts and jurisdictions for abusive lawsuits.
Over the years, the Texas Legislature, working closely with local community leaders and small business owners, has passed common-sense legislation that has made Texas more of a beacon of reform rather than a beacon of barratry and abuse. Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse has been at the forefront of efforts at the Capitol to advocate for smart reforms.
Reforms implemented over the past decades have helped fuel a strong economy and drive job creation in the Lone Star State.
But abuses in the system persist, and we’ve seen the power of well-funded special interests and personal injury lawyers working around the Capitol to roll back reforms. Such abuses could land Texas back on the Judicial Hellholes list if we’re not careful. So, it’s on all of us to continue fighting against abuses in our civil justice system.
We know lawsuit abuse kills jobs, drives up consumer costs, and erodes confidence in our legal system. Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week underscores the urgency for reforms to ensure fairness for all.
Real Cost and Consequences of Lawsuit Abuse
We’re advocating for a more balanced civil justice system that serves the greater good, not just a select few. Don’t think lawsuit abuse affects you? Think again!
Every American pays an annual “lawsuit tax” due to the costs of lawsuit abuse. Small businesses often bear the brunt of excessive litigation, undermining their ability to grow, thrive, and create jobs.
In fact, Texans pay an average of $1,725 more for goods and services each year due to the cost of lawsuits and massive court awards that are ultimately passed on to consumers. This $1,725 lawsuit tax—which drives up the price of everything Texans buy, from groceries to housing to insurance—is higher than the national annual average lawsuit tax of $1,666 per person, according to a recent study released by Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA).
Between 2009 and 2023, Texas led the nation in the number of “nuclear verdicts,” which are court awards exceeding $10 million. A total of 207 nuclear verdicts were awarded in Texas during that time, totaling more than $45 billion—costs that are often ultimately borne by consumers throughout the state.
Elect Good Judges, Representatives, and Senators
We can preserve the integrity of our legal system for future generations, and that starts with building awareness about the costs and consequences of lawsuit abuse. It also means educating voters, candidates, and elected officials about the impact of lawsuit abuse on Texas’s job creators and innovators.
We’re headed into an election year in 2026. 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. Join us in shining a light on this issue today, during #LawsuitAbuseAwarenessWeek.
Dig deeper into our LAAW resources:
- Read the proclamation by Governor Greg Abbott in honor of Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week 2025.
- Read our TALA Press Release on Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week.
- Download and share our TALA Legal Consumer Guide.
- Learn about the negative impact of “nuclear verdicts” in Texas in this report.
- Explore state and local-specific tort tax information:
