Friday, February 14, 2003

Even back in the last century [1999], a comprehensive study showed that "tort reforms" do not produce lower insurance costs or rates. AND, tort reformers, when pressed, admit it:
Specifically, Sherman Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association
(ATRA), when asked to respond to Premium Deceit, told Liability Week (July 19, 1999),
"We wouldn't tell you or anyone that the reason to pass tort reform would be to reduce
insurance rates." Victor Schwartz, ATRA's General Counsel and one of the principal "tort
reform" lobbyists in Washington on behalf of business interests, told Business Insurance
(July 19) that while he thought some severe "tort reform" measures could reduce
insurance rates, he said when pressed that, "[M]ore importantly … many tort reform
advocates do not contend that restricting litigation will lower insurance rates, and 'I've
never said that in 30 years.'" (emphasis added.) Further backing-down, Mr. Joyce
followed with the comment, "'We think the real focus (of tort reform) should be on
(restricting) the payment of punitive damages,' rather than on lowering insurance costs."

Remember, this was four years ago.

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