Tort Reform

In the documentary "Hot Coffee" we learned about the issue of tort reform. A tort is a civil wrong and here in America we can take someone/a company to court to sue them for these torts. Tort reform is proposed changes in the civil justice system that would reduce litigation and damages. This has become a controversial issue in the Unite States. Proponents of tort reform hope to limit the ability to file claims and put caps on damages. Several states have enacted tort reform laws and it remains a controversial issue with strong proponents and opponents.

Proponents for tort reform have many beliefs of why it is necessary. Main proponents of tort reform are businesses as well as the medical community. The primary reason is economic reasons. They disagree with large damages received and also the litigation process itself is very expensive for both parties and a burden falls on ordinary taxpayers as well. In medical malpractice tort cases health insurance is caused to rise as well as high malpractice insurance for doctors. They also agree that there should be caps on punitive damages.

There are many opponents of tort reform and they have many reasons for being against it. The most obvious opponent would be anyone looking to file a lawsuit because of an injury or other harm. Tort reform