SCAJ responds to introduction of "tort reform" legislation (H. 3489) in the S.C. House

COLUMBIA, SC - South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ) Executive Director Mike Hemlepp released the following statement on S.C. House Bill 3489, which was introduced today (Tues., Feb. 10, 2009) in the S.C. House of Representatives:

"Speaker Bobby Harrell has worked tirelessly to correct our state's current economic difficulties and we all respect him for his service. However, this proposed legislation will not produce positive results for our state's business climate. In fact, it will do the opposite.

"Thousands of families in South Carolina are on the verge of losing their jobs, their homes and their way of life. In many cases, it is only the protection of the law that prevents them from losing everything. When innocent people fall victim to code violations, bad judgment and deceptive trade practices, the law provides a safety net at a time when they are most vulnerable.

"This proposed legislation would strip away fundamental rights from citizens in order to protect special interest groups from accountability for their misdeeds. These special interest groups pretend to care about small business when, in fact, this bill is simply a ruse to satisfy the greed of Wall Street millionaires with virtually no ties to our communities.

"SCAJ urges a bipartisan effort to protect our system of civil justice by opposing this unwise legislation."