Byron Dorgan: “Class action lawsuits serve an important role in our court system. They permit consumers to address their injuries…”

“Class action lawsuits serve an important role in our court system. They permit consumers to address their injuries collectively and hold the wrongdoers accountable, often when a lawsuit would have been too costly for any one individual to bring it alone. Most of these cases proceed exactly as we would hope. Injured parties, represented by strong advocates, get their day in court or reach a positive settlement that is good for the parties and handled well by their attorney. Unfortunately, this is not how it always works. Rather, some are taking advantage of the system and consumers are getting the short end of the stick, recovering coupons or pocket change, while the real reward is going to others. The Washington Post put it clearly, 'no portion of the American civil justice system is more of a mess than the world of class actions.' This legislation addresses the mounting problems in class action litigation in a fair and balanced way. The bill is not a panacea, but it will stop many of the unfair and abusive class action settlements that plague our court system and short-change consumers.”