William F. Smith: “Frivolous lawsuits bankrupt individuals, ruin reputations, drive up insurance premiums, increase health care costs, and…”

“Frivolous lawsuits bankrupt individuals, ruin reputations, drive up insurance premiums, increase health care costs, and put a drag on the economy. Frivolous lawsuits are brought, for example, where there is no evidence that shows negligence on the part of the defendant. These nuisance lawsuits make a mockery of our legal system. Of course, many Americans have legitimate legal grievances, from someone wrongly disfigured during an operation to a company responsible for contaminating a community's water supply. No one who deserves justice should be denied justice. However, gaming of a system by a few lawyers drives up the cost of doing business and drives down the integrity of the judicial system. Let me give some examples. The Chief Executive Officer of San Antonio's Methodist Children's Hospital was sued after he stepped into a patient's hospital room and asked how he was doing. Of course, a jury cleared him of any wrongdoing. A Pennsylvania man sued the Frito-Lay company, claiming that Doritos chips were 'inherently dangerous' after one stuck in his throat.”