Over the last several years, there has been a lot of attention given to a certain organization’s ranking of “judicial hellholes.” California even took the red ribbon this year (2nd place!). But have you ever wondered where this “hellhole” label came from or what it means for you?
The organization that started using this term is the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), self-described as “[a]dvocating limited recovery through the civil justice system.” While that’s one view of what ATRA does, the other view is that the organization tries to limit legitimate money recoveries for those who are injured due to no fault of their own.
Every year, ATRA puts out a “judicial hellhole” list, purporting to give negative publicity to areas of the country that protect the rights of injured people. It is ATRA’s hope that bringing attention to these areas will shame Congress, state legislatures and judges, and the public into realigning the civil justice system in a way that better suits businesses and civil defendants.
California was number two on this year’s judicial hellhole list. Why the “honor”? ATRA is concerned “about the inexorable expansion of civil liability in the once Golden State.” Here, the organization is referring to the California Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in the Bristol-Myers Squibb v. Anderson case, a landmark decision that will provide justice to people who are hurt by companies with solid connections to California.
ATRA also focuses on a California Supreme Court decision involving a car buyer who wanted to avoid an unfair clause in his contract that purported to require him to submit his disputes over the purchase to arbitration rather than filing a lawsuit. Apparently, ATRA didn’t like the high Court’s clarification on this issue.
When the lawyers at the Alexander Law Group, LLP hear that California has been named a “judicial hellhole” by ATRA, it makes us happy that we live in a state that recognizes the imbalance of power between big companies and ordinary people. We’re proud to say that we stand in the corner with David in his battle against Goliath.
The San Francisco personal injury attorneys at Alexander Law Group, LLP are proud to live in a state that embraces personal rights. We will fervently work with you to procure all possible monetary compensation after an accident. Our goal is to help our clients and their families receive proper compensation for their pain and suffering. You can reach one of our San Francisco personal injury attorneys at 888.777.1776. Alternatively, you can our online contact form and we will get back to you promptly.
