Faces of Lawsuit Abuse

It?s Your Neighbors and the Corner Businesses Who Are Getting Sued

By Lisa Rickard
December 20, 2007

“There’s got to be a line drawn in the sand and we’ve got to start doing something about this, because it’s just gone way too far.”

Those are the words of Randy Baumgarten, a second-generation small business owner, speaking of the impact frivolous lawsuits have on small businesses like his own.

Randy is one of several people featured on the IAmLawsuitAbuse.org Web site which ILR launched this week.  All of their stories bring home the sad reality that lawsuit abuse hurts families and small businesses.

Jin and Soo Chung, owners of the dry cleaning business involved in the infamous $54 million lawsuit over a pair of pants, talk about coming to grips with the lawsuit.  “Finally, after two years in court, I realized we can lose everything we had worked for,” says Soo Chung.

Frivolous lawsuits have a devastating impact on small businesses like Randy’s and the Chungs’.  ILR released a survey earlier this year of small business owners which revealed that more than 75 percent are concerned about lawsuits, while another ILR survey showed the price tag for lawsuits to small businesses is $98 billion, up 13 percent in three years.

By giving voice to these stories, we hope that Americans will come to further recognition of the far-reaching impact lawsuits have on society today.  The victims of lawsuit abuse include our friends, our neighbors, and our local, family-owned businesses.  Frivolous lawsuits impact our children and our society as a whole.

This campaign is not only about showing stories of victims of lawsuit abuse, it’s about sharing stories and giving people the power to stand up and speak out. It’s about letting Americans know that there are perhaps millions of people affected directly by abusive lawsuits, and that it’s time to change our lawsuit system.

It is our hope that the IAmLawsuitAbuse.org Web site will provide one more way for people stand up and say enough is enough.