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For Immediate Release: March 12, 2008
Contact: Ray De Lorenzi
202-965-3500 x369
AAJ Press Room
Washington, DC – Pacific Research Institute's (PRI) new study proves what independent experts have said all along: "tort reform" does not work. PRI's own rankings show there is no correlation between tort reform and "costs"
- Colorado
- PRI ranks CO 1st in tort reform laws; however,
- PRI also ranks CO as having the eighth highest costs.
- New Mexico
- PRI ranks NM 44th in tort reform laws; however,
- PRI also ranks NM as having the sixth lowest costs.
- PRI also ranks NM as having the sixth lowest costs.
- States most “hurt” by costs are actually the wealthiest.
- PRI’s 25 “worst” states: $36,617 (average GSP).
- PRI’s 25 “best” states: $35,934 (average GSP).
- [source: Gross State Product (GSP), Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2006]
The following is a statement from American Association for Justice CEO Jon Haber:
"ExxonMobil, Phillip Morris, and Big Pharma are all corporate wrongdoers who have spent millions to destroy the civil justice system using groups such as Pacific Research Institute. But PRI's new study actually agrees with independent experts that tort reform does not work.
"PRI's study is entirely bogus and has no methodology or academic basis for its results. PRI cites themselves or the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) no less than 34 times in the footnotes. Not surprisingly, PRI and ATRA are both funded by oil, tobacco, and pharmaceutical companies.
"Even biased, junk research shows tort reform is simply a scheme by powerful corporations to avoid accountability in the courtroom and stack the deck against every day Americans."
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