Michael Vallante
Executive Director
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse
Los Angeles
January 31, 2003
Lawsuit abuse is horrible. But it doesn't affect
me.
How many times have we heard that? How many
times have we said that?
Well now that lawsuit abuse has come to the
San Gabriel Valley, restaurants, auto repair shops, and numerous
other small businesses throughout the San Gabriel Valley are finding
their words coming back to bite them as they get hit with lawsuit
after lawsuit.
But in reality, this disease has been there
all along. Only now, with reporting and investigating and organizing
has it come into the light.
It's interesting to watch as some of the same
politicians who've passed laws giving these personal injury attorneys
free reign to terrorize hard working businesspeople are now, suddenly,
becoming the defenders of those being sued. Don't the politicians
realize that these predators of the public wouldn't have the chance
or the profit motive to wreak this havoc if they had just put
their foot down and actually allowed the justice system to be
fair and balanced?
Now that the press has started to cover the
story, the politicians come out in force, tripping over themselves
to hold public hearings and decry the tactics. They promise justice.
Even the trial lawyer's association is on record admitting that
abuses occur, and abuse is wrong.
Looks like we've got all the common sense in
the world lined up to take action, so here's a suggestion to the
politicians: change the law.
Punish the evil doers, the lawyers who use the
system not for justice but for profit. Say no to the money that
pours into your campaign coffers from lawyers who seek to change
the system so that they can continue to make a buck at the expense
of people who work for a living.
Here's a specific message to Attorney General
Lockyer. Stand up and tell us why it has taken so long for you
to take a position on this issue. You knew about it last year
when they did the same thing in Orange County. But you backed
down from the fight. Why did it take the press and public outcry
to make you do your job? Is it because your campaign has been
so well funded by contributions from personal injury lawyers and
their PACs?
Sadly, there's also a message to the businesses
that have been sued. Lawsuit abuse affects everyone. These personal
injury attorney profiteers don't just go after the "deep pockets"
of McDonalds'. They use their lawsuits of mass destruction, the
class action, on the small business just as well. You see, while
they may want to hit the big jackpot with McDonald's, they are
just as happy picking up $2500 here or $1500 there to line their
pockets, buy their fancy cars, and kick back money into the political
system so they can keep abusing us.
We should all learn that the abuse they heap
on large companies, which might draw sympathy from many quarters,
is just one step away from these vultures landing at your front
door of your nail salon, auto repair shop, restaurant or small
business. To them money is money.you are making it, they want
it. So the next time you read an article about a class action
lawsuit against a big company and think, "well that's their problem,
not mine,' think again.
It takes courage and vigilance to fight these
vultures of profit. It's something our organization does every
single day. We applaud the small businesses in San Gabriel for
standing up and uniting together. And we give them this piece
of advice.don't be fooled by the rhetoric. The politicians allowed
this system to get to where it is today. Don't settle for their
promises. Hold their feet to the fire. Make them reform the law
as it currently exists. Don't settle for anything less.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you would like a CALA
speaker to address your organization or some information for your
organization's newsletter, let us know today.
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is a non-profit,
educational, grassroots organization comprised of small business
and professional people, consumers and others dedicated to the
reform of our civil justice system. If you would like to be added
or deleted from this list, or to request a CALA action kit, please
reply to maryann@maryannmaloney.com.
Feel free to forward this communication and visit our website
at www.losangelescala.org.
