Stand Up for Summer: TALA Turns Up the Heat on Unnecessary, Abusive Lawsuits in New Statewide Education, Advocacy Campaign
AUSTIN, TEXAS—Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse and local Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse organizations across the state are using summer to remind Texans that unnecessary and abusive lawsuits can impact even the simple pleasures families and kids enjoy in their own backyards, on summer vacation or around town.
The “Stand Up for Summer” campaign is a statewide effort by the consumer and small-business-led grassroots lawsuit reform movement to shine a light on how lawsuits that are fueled by greed, not justice have changed the face of summer for many Texans.
“Let’s not cancel summer. Let’s encourage personal responsibility and common sense before calling a lawyer,” said D’Anne Buquet of Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse that spearheaded this summer awareness campaign.
The campaign includes television ads, video content and a social media push to remind Texans to choose personal responsibility and common sense over an unnecessary lawsuit.
Watch the TALA Stand Up for Summer Spot at http://bit.ly/SummerTALA.
“Search ‘summertime lawsuits’ and you’ll find personal injury lawyers at the top of your Google search, ready to file suit over a wide-range of summer-related activities,” said Jennifer Harris of Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse. “We want Texans to know there’s an alternative: an ounce of prevention, a dash of awareness and a healthy helping of common sense.”
Whether it’s slips and falls on wet surfaces like swimming pool decking, dog bites by a neighbor’s pet, burns from a charcoal grill or fireworks’ accidents, personal injury lawyers’ advertising highlights the many ways lawsuits can squash Texans’ summer fun.
Summer-time related lawsuits are the reason you don’t often see diving boards at public pools, for example. Litigation concerns spurred changes to a Texas statute in 2004 that increased required clearances for diving boards, driving them from municipal pools.
“A splash-less summer is one thing, but it seems no summer activity is safe from lawsuits. From putting on sunscreen, to taking a trip to the ballpark, to an outdoor picnic, summertime fun is ripe for litigation,” said Sergio Contreras of Rio Grande Valley Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.
“The lawsuit-happy tactics of some affect all of us,” said Karen Easterling, Board Chair of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse of Central Texas. “Abusive and frivolous lawsuits cost time and money – even if cases are settled – and taint some of life’s simplest pleasures.”
“Stand Up for Summer” will educate Texans about using common-sense to avoid being on the receiving end of lawsuit and to think twice before filing a suit themselves.
“We want our courts to be used for justice, not greed,” added Harris. “Access to the courts of legitimate claims are important, and we’re ever mindful that frivolous lawsuits not only often drive up costs for consumers and small business, it can quite literally take the fun out of summer.”
For more information, visit tala.com/standupforsummer.
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