Apparently Insurance Companies and Tort Reformists Do Not Like Trying Personal Injury or Product Liability Cases in Philadelphia – Claim It’s a “Judicial Hellhole"
Philadelphia was just honored with the title of being the “number one judicial hellhole" in the U.S. according to the American Tort Reform Association. The American Tort Reform Association stated that Philadelphia just unseated South Florida as a jurisdiction least fair to defendants in their eyes. ATRA further states that (believe it or not) Philadelphia is looking for ways to open itself up to new lawsuits, and claims that certain judges wish to make Philadelphia an attractive city to plaintiffs’ attorneys because “in addition to generating substantial fees for the Court, out-of-state lawyers are also an economic stimulus for Philadelphia."
As an experienced Philadelphia personal injury and car accident lawyer in Philadelphia since 1979 who has successfully represented plaintiffs in thousands of actions, I take umbrage with the position of an organization that continually strives to delay and deny people’s rights by blocking their access to the courtrooms. The tort reformists consistently attack personal injury lawyers and their clients and do not seem to understand the basic constitutional right of an individual to seek redress for their injuries from an individual or corporate entity that places a defective product or whose behavior injures that person resulting in their inability to work or enjoy the pleasures of life the same as prior to the incident.
Under the current judicial and tort-law system in Philadelphia, victims can recover compensatory damages for loss of a body part, loss of future income, monies for medical expenses, payment for pain and suffering, as well as be compensated for past and future medical bills. The classical element of damages is to provide full compensation for proved harm, or restoration via payment of money to the original state. What I find most interesting about the tort reformists is the fact that when they or their family members are injured, no matter how strong they are on their platform, they seem to be in my experience the most aggressive of all seeking recovery of compensatory damages, and their tort reform arguments seem to fall to the wayside when it comes to them personally. I generally find that the most egregious tort reform advocates are those who receive corporate, insurance industry, and lobbyist funding to communicate their views no matter how extreme, but when it comes time for their individual interests if injured ... pay me!!
At the Philadelphia catastrophic injury, car accident, and medical malpractice firm of Reiff & Bily, we will continue to represent the rights of individuals in an aggressive fashion in what we believe is the fine civil court and justice system of Philadelphia, as well as other jurisdictions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
