Paul Votes to Curb Frivolous Lawsuits

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Ron Paul voted earlier this week to reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits plaguing America’s doctors and businesses.  The House of Representatives voted 229 to174 to crack down on attorneys who file meritless lawsuits in federal court.  Congress has constitutional jurisdiction over federal court rules, including the rules of civil procedure that allow for sanctions against unethical personal injury attorneys. "I’m glad Congress is finally rediscovering that it has jurisdiction over federal courts, rather than the other way around,” Paul stated.  "Too many attorneys file too many frivolous lawsuits, and too many judges allow those lawsuits to proceed.  Medical malpractice lawsuits especially have gotten out of control, and it’s time to introduce some common sense to our federal courtrooms."

 House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. stated, "Every year jobs are lost, prices are raised, and small businesses go out of business because of the cost of frivolous lawsuits. No part of American society rests easy in a legal culture of fear. Churches are discouraging counseling by ministers. Children have learned to threaten teachers with lawsuits. Youth sports are shutting down in the face of lawsuits for injuries and even hurt feelings. Monkey bars and other once common equipment are now endangered species at playgrounds. As a result, children stay home and get fat, and their parents sue the restaurants that serve them. The Girl Scouts in Metro Detroit alone have to sell 36,000 boxes of cookies each year just to pay for liability insurance.  We all live with the consequences, including higher taxes and insurance rates, chaos in our schools, and doctors going out of business, limiting Americans’ access to health care. Small businesses and workers may suffer most."

The lawsuit abuse legislation now proceeds to the Senate for consideration.