To Reverse Its Course, Louisiana Must Have Lawsuit Reform

03/04/2020

Louisiana has a problem. With the release of each new job and economic growth report, we get more evidence of our state falling further behind the rest of the nation in nearly every category. Unsurprisingly, jobs are the most reported reason people are giving for leaving Louisiana. While there are many culprits for the departure...

TAGS: lawsuit abuse, legal reform, Tort Reform

The Case for Tort Reform in Louisiana

By Sarah Harbison

11/02/2015

If Louisiana wants to lower its cost of living, attract more businesses and ultimately improve its economy as a whole, tort reform is necessary. These simple reforms are nothing radical. They would simply bring Louisiana up to speed with the rest of the nation.

TAGS: Tort Reform

Guest Commentary: Oil Spill Settlement Makes Lawyers, Administrators Rich While Disaster Victims Await Payments

By Margaret Viator

03/10/2015

BATON ROUGE, LA- Nearly five years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, a legal watchdog group is calling into question who is benefiting most from the unprecedented class action settlement set up to compensate victims in the aftermath of the 2010 oil spill. “Class action lawsuits are notorious for producing highly...

TAGS: BP oil spill, Deepwater Horizon, Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch, Tort Reform

Louisiana Ranks Among America’s Worst “Judicial Hellholes” for Fifth Year

By Margaret Viator

01/07/2015

Louisiana has earned the seventh-highest ranking in the 2014–2015 American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) Judicial Hellholes® report of the worst places to be sued.

TAGS: judicial hellholes, LLAW, Melissa Landry, Tort Reform

Levee Breach Lawsuit Illustrates Class Action Racket

By Robert Ross

12/01/2014

This case is a stunning example of class action lawyers doing what they do best: using lawsuits to create the illusion of relief that will ultimately do nothing more than increase their own bottom lines.

TAGS: Litigation Reform, Tort Reform

Guest Commentary: Lawsuit Reform in the 2014 Legislative Session

By Robert Ross

03/18/2014

The Louisiana Legislature kicked off the 2014 regular session last week, beginning a series of discussions about the most important issues facing the state. Already it is clear that lawsuit reform will be front and center in the debate.

TAGS: Bobby Jindal, jury trial threshold, lawsuit reform, Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch, Tort Reform

Guest Commentary: Support Small Business, Stop Lawsuit Abuse

By Robert Ross

08/29/2013

In a recent survey of Louisiana businesses conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, 89 percent of business owners said the number of frivolous lawsuits in the state is a serious problem.

TAGS: Litigation Reform, LLAW, NFIB, Tort Reform

Poor Legal Climate Leads to Higher Auto Insurance Rates

By Robert Ross

03/22/2013

Louisiana has once again earned the dubious distinction of having the most expensive auto insurance rates in the country.

TAGS: auto insurance, insurance rates, lawsuits, Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch, Tort Reform

Louisiana Lands on “Judicial Hellholes” Watch List Again

By Robert Ross

12/18/2012

With astonishing multi-million dollar verdicts being rendered nearly every other week, and laws and judges that seem to give plaintiffs the upper hand in legal proceedings regardless of the facts of the case—it is no wonder that we’ve become a regular on the Hellholes watch list.

TAGS: American Tort Reform Association, Buddy Caldwell, Litigation Reform, Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch, Melissa Landry, Tort Reform

Louisiana Can Learn a Lot from Texas About Creating Jobs, Cutting Lawsuits

By Editor

10/02/2012

When it comes to the very important issue of legal reform, we are worlds apart. Despite the fact that residents in both Louisiana and Texas share the common goals of creating jobs and cutting down on lawsuit abuse, we have chosen remarkably different paths to address these issues.

TAGS: Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week, lawsuits, Litigation Reform, Louisiana, Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch, Melissa Landry, Texas, Tort Reform

A Tax Plan for Our Brighter Future

A Tax Plan for Our Brighter Future paper-digital In Louisiana’s Comeback: A Tax Reform for Our Brighter Future, the Pelican Institute identifies the state’s significant tax problems and proposes a path to set the state in a brighter direction, including flattening the personal and corporate income taxes to 3.5% rates, reducing the number of tax preferences, eliminating...

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