Lawsuit Abuse Impact News

The sequestration that is about to take effect imposes too much austerity too soon, does so in a nonsensical way, and yet does little to improve the long-term U.S. fiscal picture. Far more beneficial would be to make sure that the deceleration in health costs we have been enjoying continues. This is why medical-malpractice reform, although far from a panacea, is worth trying.

In a surprise finding, the steady three-year climb in the use of alternative fee arrangements to pay outside counsel has abated, according to a survey of in-house counsel released Tuesday. 

The legislative session is heating up and there are several lawsuit reform initiatives awaiting action in committees in both the House and the Senate. The fate of this legislation remains unknown but if history is any indication, the prospects of these common-sense lawsuit reforms is doubtful at best.

What do you call a plaintiffs' attorney who negotiates a settlement that secures $3 million for his clients -- and pays him $14 million for his services? Plenty of words come to mind, but none suitable for publication. Happily, the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals shares our dismay.