Manhattan Institute recommends state reforms

Published May 9, 2008 4:00am ET



Reforms suggested by the Manhattan Institute.

State legislatures should:

1. Enact medical criteria laws with strict standards for establishing injury.

2. Prevent “forum shopping” by requiring that claims can be filed only in counties where the client lives, where the injury actually occurred, or where the defendant corporation was headquartered.

3. Eliminate “several liability,” the legal tactic whereby a wealthy defendant can be held liable for 100 percent of damages even if its degree of culpability is far, far less than 100 percent.

4. Stop double-dipping (multiple lawsuits by the same “victim” claiming different ailments caused by different defendants) by adopting the “transparency act” promoted by the non-partisan American Legislative Exchange Council.

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