Jim Sensenbrenner: “I disagree with the arguments made by my friend, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt), because I think that the…”

“I disagree with the arguments made by my friend, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt), because I think that the purpose of this bill is to make the process of adjudicating a common disaster lawsuit, such as one arising from a plane crash or a train wreck, more convenient to all of the litigants concerned. That provides for the consolidation of these cases in a manner that has been described for determining liability and punitive damages, but not for determining compensatory damages. So overall, it makes the system fairer for all litigants, although it might make the system a bit inconvenient to some litigants. So I think we have a balancing effect here. I am just concerned over a common disaster case bringing about a huge plethora of lawsuits that would be filed in courts all over the country.”