Author: Julian Alvarez, Rio Grande Valley Partnership | Source: Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse
Our area was hardest hit by abusive litigation in the days before legal reform. Jaw-dropping court rulings, out-of-state filings and the antics of very aggressive ambulance chasers for decades gave the Valley area a legal black eye, and earned us top spots for years on the yearly Judicial Hellhole report.
Employers, for obvious reasons, were afraid to locate here and, as we all know, many of our doctors were forced to limit their practices or close their doors altogether. That’s not justice. That’s abuse.
In 1990, with the birth of the Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse grassroots movement here in the Valley, that all began to change.
People began to understand that we all suffer when our courts are abused. Fortunately, after nearly two decades of significant reforms that have introduced predictability and common sense to the process, our civil justice system is now considered a model of reform.
Because of lawsuit reforms, we have hundreds of new doctors practicing here — many in high-risk specialties. And smart reforms helped create thousands of local jobs and injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the Valley economy, according to a 2008 report by economist Ray Perryman.
Reform works for Texas. But reform only works if our lawmakers are willing to protect it.
Where do your candidates stand on lawsuit reform? Ask them!
