FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: PETER BYLSMA
PHONE: 310-795-8532
September 19, 2006
In the tradition of "Dancing with the Stars," Los Angeles Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) has launched a TV campaign in Los Angeles featuring its new ad, "Tango," to spotlight how the dance between greedy lawyers and dubious experts turns junk science into junk lawsuits that jeopardize health care for everyone.
"There's been no shortage of news about how unethical personal injury lawyers are teaming up with experts for hire to manufacture lawsuits founded on bogus research and junk science," said David Houston, Chairman of Los Angeles CALA, citing lawsuits over silicosis, fen-phen and asbestos as examples. "This hurts the real victims and has a negative effect on the cost of and access to health care for all Americans."
The 30-second Tango ad portrays how, when credible science isn't enough, some personal injury lawyers look for a dance partner who can be their "expert witness" and help drive the litigation forward with junk science. CALA describes junk science as questionable, unfounded or misleading information that is put forth as medical or scientific fact.
The problem of junk science made headlines at the end of 2005 when U.S. District Judge Janis Jack dismissed thousands of silicosis claims from her Texas court due to fraudulent diagnoses. In her scathing 249-page decision, Judge Jack described the diagnoses that formed the foundation of many of the silicosis claims were simple "manufactured for money."
"We all know it takes two to tango, so the problem here isn't just the personal injury lawyers looking for a quick settlement," Houston said. Houston added that tougher restrictions on expert testimony to weed out charlatans is a good first step. In the meantime, he says CALA will be doing a lot of work in the coming weeks and months to highlight how junk science and junk lawsuits hurt patients and kill hope for those waiting for new cures.
CALA's "Tango" ad will be shown on KNBC and Telemundo. It can also be viewed online at:
www.sickoflawsuits.org/tango
and on Youtube.com at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_3udY4MK9Q.
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is a nonprofit, grassroots public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain. For more information, visit www.losangelescala.org.
