People in the United States have filed nearly 10,000 COVID-19-related lawsuits in state and federal courts since the outbreak of the virus. The litigation wave, likely to swell this year as courts reopen and pent-up demand is released, is fueling a rising trend in civil litigation and adding a tax on businesses that is ultimately passed on to consumers.

Legislation at the state and federal levels needs to keep this adverse tort trend, called “social inflation,” in check.